Home Is Where The Heart Is
by MonaGirl
Summary: After Emily had left the Hamptons, she tries to start a new life in Paris under a new identity. But will it succeed, or will the shadows of her past catch up with her again? - Sequel to 'From Vengeance To Forgiveness' and 'The Choices We Make'
1. Awakening

**Beach House, Hamptons**

 _Dear Daniel,_

 _I'm writing this letter, because that way it's easier for me to tell you the truth. And besides, you have to listen to me and can't interrupt me. First of all... No more lies! When you read this letter, you know all about me. There are no more secrets._

 _How do I start? I think it's best I start at the beginning. Do you remember how we met the first time? I spilled the drink on your jacket and so we got into a conversation with each other. But it was not a mishap. I did it on purpose. I wanted access to your family and you were the key in order to reach that. How so? Now that you know that I'm really Amanda Clarke, you will have guessed the answer. To take revenge. To take revenge on the people who brought my father to jail. I had made a list with the people who were responsible for it. Your parents were at the top of the list. Do you know how it is when you lose the only person you have loved and trusted? Your parents and some others, I don't want to bring up here, were responsible that I lost my father and became an orphan at an early age. I've been in different children's homes, had foster parents who only took advantage of me and then ultimately became a criminal and ended up at the juvie. But the good thing was that I met Emily Thorne there, and the decision to avenge myself on those who had stolen my father and my childhood was quickly made. I couldn't return as Amanda, so Emily and I switched identities, and I became Emily Thorne. With a new identity, I returned to the place of my childhood and started my revenge campaign. Your mother had been right all along. I've only used you to get entry into your family. I was amazed how quickly she was aware of my true intentions. But I think it was only because we are alike. To make it short, I will summarize the events which took place after that._

 _My goal was to destroy your family, to take everything away from them that they had taken from me. I had obtained a good training and build-up on Rebun Island and was ready. I met Aiden there, too. But more later about that. It wasn't difficult to become the new owner of the beach house. From there I had a good view and could navigate my actions. The plan was simply perfect. But then something happened which I hadn't reckoned with. I fell in love with you. When you proposed to me, I didn't have to fake my enthusiasm. I really wanted to marry you. At the time, I was so naive to believe that I could do both, take revenge and be happy with you. But you were a Grayson, even though you never wanted to be one. I didn't realize that until you sided with your father. I decided to break up with you, though it wasn't easy for me. I know you thought it was because of Jack and the kiss we'd exchanged at the time. But we were never lovers. It was only the memory of the past that we both wanted to hold on to. I think he truly loved Emily when she appeared as Amanda in the Hamptons. If she hadn't died, they would still be together. But maybe it was fate, otherwise he wouldn't be together with Ava now. But I get off the point..._

 _Shortly after our split-up, Aiden appeared. We had had a love affair on Rebun Island and he wanted me back. He helped me to continue my way of reckoning, and I helped him with his affairs. The mutual urge to take revenge on those who had wronged us bound us together. In hindsight, I wonder if I really loved him. At least I thought it at that time why I was ready to go with him. We had a final plan before we could begin our lives together on the Maldives. Victoria Grayson had to be destroyed. In order to do that I had to get closer to you again. So Aiden and I faked a break-up, and you were more than ready to give me a second chance. A re-engagement, a new plan. But then Sara arrived on the scene, and I could almost see how everything slipped out of my hands. You suddenly didn't want to marry me any longer, and I decided to take more drastic measures to hold you. So I faked a pregnancy. I knew that you would never have the heart to abandon your own flesh and blood. I always wondered if things would have been different if I had already known that I was really pregnant. But back then I had no idea about my condition and continued with my plan. After the wedding, I wanted to feign my death and then pin the blame on your mother. She would have ended up in jail. My revenge would have finalized and I could have started a new life with Aiden, with a new identity, on the Maldives._

 _But the plan failed, as you know. I still don't quite understand what happened with me when I suffered from amnesia. I only know that I was given a new life. And for that I'm really grateful. Because I got a new chance to make things right, got a new chance of love and happiness. I know you don't believe me when I tell you that I've fallen in love with you a second time before I've even regained my memory. I really thought we would make it this time. For me, I had finished with everything that was in the past. I wanted to start a new life on your and Julian's side as Emily Grayson. I had no idea that my father was still alive. It was a shock to me when he showed up in the Hamptons. But the past is always catching up with you. I know that now. So I decided to leave and start a new life somewhere else, far from the Hamptons and with a new identity._

 _I'm sorry that I had remained silent and had to lie to you for such a long time. However, I have never lied about us. I love you, Daniel, even though you hate me! Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And that's something I have to live with for the rest of my life. Good bye,_

 _Emily_

 _P.S. I'll give the rings back to you because they have no meaning for me where I'm going. They belong to you now. You can keep them or throw them into the ocean._

He dropped the letter and stared into space. Although he had read the words, he couldn't grasp their meaning. His hands trembled slightly as he pulled the rings out of the envelope and frowned at them. What did this mean? As fast as his drunken state allowed him, he rose and walked down the stairs with slightly staggering steps. Horrified, he stopped on the lowest staircase, when he saw the devastation in front of him. But his befuddled mind was too confused to make sense of what had happened here. He saw a baseball bat lying in a corner, and he reflexively held his breath. It was his racket, which lay in the middle of demolished pieces of furniture and shards of glasses, he recognized. His head began to throb painfully when he tried to remember. Had he done that? He bent down and took a picture frame that had been completely destroyed. It was the wedding picture that had stood on the fireplace. As he stared at it, he tried to remember the words in the letter. But he was not sober enough to bring it to mind. He could only recollect one sentence. _"I have never lied about us. I love you, Daniel, even though you hate me!"_

"Daniel?"

Startled, his head jerked up and he had to blink twice to get a clear view. In the doorway stood his sister, giving him a sympathetic look. "Char?" He croaked.

"Where is Emily?" She asked, frowning.

"Emily?" He repeated puzzled, then clutched at his head. "How... how did I get here...?"

"Don't you remember?" She asked cautiously as she approached him.

He shook his head, then pointed to the smashed furnishings. "Did I... do that?"

She nodded hesitantly. "You really don't remember anything," she realized and took the picture out of his hand. She looked at it briefly and then put it aside. "I had to call Jack and ask him to come," she told him in a low voice. "You were completely wasted and no longer in control of yourself. You smashed everything to pieces that got in your way."

"Oh God..." He fell to his knees, horrified about his actions. "I... I can't... remember... anything."

Charlotte reached for his hands. "You were injured. That's why we had to patch you up."

He stared at his hands and only noticed then that they were bandaged. Just like parts of his arms. "Injured?" He repeated stunned.

Charlotte helped him to get up. "There are shards everywhere. You shouldn't be kneeling, or you'll get hurt again." She looked at him worried. "We should go back to the manor now. I think Emily went home, too. We can clean up later, when you're a bit more sober."

Emily had gone home? The moment the thought crossed his mind he remembered the letter, which was still lying in the bedroom. "Char, wait!" He gestured to the top. "The letter..." He stammered. "She... she wrote me a letter... and the... the rings..." He clutched at his forehead and groaned with pain. "Oh damn! I need a... headache pill. My skull..."

Being driven by a sense of foreboding, Charlotte ran upstairs and found the letter and rings Daniel had spoken of. Although not addressed to her, she read the lines and then groaned frustrated. Emily had actually done it. She had left the Hamptons and had gone to Paris without saying good-bye to her. Had Daniel's havoc been the trigger why she had left the country? She had to talk to Nolan as soon as possible. He certainly knew more about it. But first of all, she had to take care of Daniel, who was still not sober enough to understand the consequences of his actions. She put the letter and the rings into her trouser pocket and left the bedroom. She found him in the living room, kneeling again on the ground because there was nothing left to sit on. Everything was destroyed. "Let's go!" She pulled him up and then put her arm around his waist to support him. A last look back and she and Daniel left the beach house and went over to the manor.


	2. Fresh Start

**Nolan's Mansion, Hamptons**

"I just can't believe it!" Shaking her head, Ava lowered the letter that Emily had written to her. Nolan had invited her, Jack and Charlotte to his mansion after he returned from the airport. "I thought we'd clarified that in our last conversation." She looked desperately at Jack. "She was even ready to seriously consider her decision to leave."

"I think if Daniel hadn't caused a Waterloo at the beach house, she would have considered her decision," Nolan interjected, raising his eyebrows.

Charlotte shook her head slowly. "I think you're wrong, because she had also written a letter to Daniel before he'd smashed the inventory into pieces. It was clearly a farewell letter. She never intended to stay."

"How do you know that?" Ava looked at her confused. "Did he tell you about it?"

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before she reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out the slightly crumpled letter. "Here, read it yourself!" She pushed the sheet of paper to Ava and then reached into her pocket again and took out the rings, which she also placed on the table.

"Ouch!" Nolan exclaimed. "It seems she is really serious about not wanting anything to do with him." He raised his head and looked at Charlotte with a thoughtful look. "Has he already read the letter?"

"Yes, he has," she confirmed. "But I doubt he understood a thing about it. When I found him in the beach house, he still wasn't able to stand on his own feet. I brought him back to the manor, and in the end I even had to ask our gardener to take him upstairs to his bedroom." She rolled her eyes. "I'm just glad my mother wasn't there that she could see in what kind of state he was."

Ava had read the letter and handed it to Jack, who shook his head.

"This is a violation of the privacy of letters," he said tightly, giving her an indignant look. "I don't think Emily would approve that we read what she privately entrusted to Daniel."

"There's not much private in it," Ava said, shrugging defensively. "Essentially, it's things we've already known."

"It reads like an exciting thriller," Charlotte interrupted suddenly and smiled embarrassed, as they all looked at her. "Well, I had no idea how she got the name Emily Thorne and why she came here at all. Shortly after she had confessed to me that she was my sister, my father was abducted. We had no time to exchange details. She had promised me that she would tell me everything about it at a later date, but it never happened. Now I know everything at least."

Nolan, who had no scruples to violate the privacy of letters, dropped the sheet of paper after reading everything. "She really didn't leave anything out." He cleared his throat. "Except that she helped her father to escape and knew beforehand what he had planned."

"If she had confessed that, she would have sent herself to her doom," Jack said. "I can understand why she wanted to protect herself and her father."

Charlotte jumped up. "It's time to go home! My dad will be released from the hospital today, and I want to be there when they learn that Emily left."

"Your mother will surely do a somersault for happiness," Nolan stated dryly, rolling his eyes.

"You brought Emily to the airport," Ava suddenly changed the subject. "I'm sure you know her address, too."

Nolan looked at her suspiciously. "Yes, I know her address," he confirmed. "I even found the place for her myself. How so?"

"We all fly to Paris and visit her!" Charlotte suggested spontaneously. "Paris is really beautiful at this time of the year. And it's fun to go shopping."

Nolan raised his eyebrows, smiling. "I hardly believe that Emily wanted to go to Paris because of the Haute Couture."

Charlotte gave him a resentful look. "I didn't mean that. But when you're there, you can make the most of the time."

Ava shared Charlotte's excitement. "That's a good idea! If Emily can't be here, we'll go to her."

Nolan raised both arms to stop their enthusiasm. "Hold your horses! Nobody said anything about visiting her. I even had to promise her that I wouldn't make contact with her until she was safe." He looked at Charlotte. "You in particular have to be extra careful, because you live with Daniel under one roof. He could, for example, listen to your phone calls or overhear when you chat with her over the Internet. By no means can he learn about her whereabouts! Just give her a few weeks to settle down."

"A few weeks?" Charlotte choked. "I already miss her."

"Me too," Ava admitted, wiping a tear from her eye. "She was my best friend. Without her, I wouldn't be here." She leaned her head against Jack's chest, who immediately pulled her closer in a hug.

"We miss her all," Nolan said softly. "But a promise is a promise. And I respect the fact that she needs distance."

Charlotte nodded and lowered her head sorrowfully. "I understand it, even though she breaks my heart," she said softly. "I've lost not only my friend and ally, but also my sister and my nephew."

"And Daniel his son," Jack tossed in.

Nolan looked at him in surprise. "Since when do you feel sorry for him?"

Jack ran through his hair and sighed, before answering the question. "Since I found him unconscious and bleeding between destroyed furniture and broken glass," he admitted. "How desperate must he have been to drink himself into oblivion?"

"Daniel has never been able to deal with problems," Charlotte said hesitantly. "It's not the first time he was drunk. And I'm afraid now that Emily has left him and taken Julian with her, he won't be sober anymore." She looked at Jack. "You're right. It will kill him when he learns that she left him with the baby."

"Have we cleared up everything now?" Nolan looked questioningly around. "No contact with Emily!" He repeated again. "She will get in touch with us if she's ready." He looked at Charlotte again. "And no word to Daniel or to your parents! When they ask where Emily went, you just say you have no idea."

"Actually, I have no idea," she said, rolling her eyes. "There are over 2 million people living in Paris. Not so easy to find someone who doesn't want to be found. "

"Even the word 'Paris' shouldn't pass your lips!" Nolan warned.

"She has a new ID, I suppose?" Ava asked.

Nolan nodded. "But I won't tell you. All in good time. When she makes contact with us, you will know everything."

"All right." Ava rose with a sigh. "I will try to be patient. If she calls you, will you let us know at once?"

Nolan nodded. "Of course. I will also tell her how all of you miss her."

Charlotte took the letter and the rings and put them back in her pocket. "I have to return this before he wakes up. He mustn't know that I read the letter."

"We'll bring you home," Ava offered, opening the door. They said good bye and left Nolan with his own thoughts. Emily hadn't mentioned his name in her farewell letter to Daniel once, but it was not just Aiden who had helped her to take revenge. It was due to him that she started her vendetta against the Graysons in the first place after reading her father's diaries. "There is still a secret that he doesn't know," he muttered to himself. "And I promise that it will keep our secret forever."

 **Paris, France**

Emily made her first walk, after a flight of eight hours and landing safely in Paris, to the hairdresser. A fresh start also included a new haircut, so she let her long curly hair shorten by a few inches and opted for some darker nuances of her hair color. She wanted to be perfectly prepared for her new life. But she lacked the right enthusiasm. She missed her friends and her old life. She took a taxi to the address that Nolan had given to her and rang the doorbell. While she was waiting, she looked along the street which was almost empty at this time. The apartment, in which she would live from now on, was in a suburb of Paris, a few miles away from the city center. An ideal place to hide. Hadn't Nolan mentioned to her that the young woman was also on the run? Still lost in thought, the door suddenly opened and she looked in a young woman's face with long, reddish hair, who smiled at her.

"Hi, I'm Julia. You're Allison, I suppose?"

Emily reached for her hand and smiled as well. "Call me Ally."

Emily liked Julia straight away and apparently this feeling was mutual, because the young woman answered her questions eagerly and led her through the apartment and showed her where she would be staying from now on. Everyone had their own room, but they would share the living room and the kitchen. When Emily looked around in her new room, she couldn't help comparing it to her room in the juvie. It was small and practically furnished, with a baby cot and a changing table, which stood in a corner of the room, a bed, wardrobe and a table and a chair in the middle. She was not used to live that confined. The rooms in the beach house were four times as large, open, bright and friendly. There wasn't even a balcony or a garden. For the first time, Emily had doubts whether it had been such a good idea to leave her home in a hurry and live together with someone she barely knew. But she had no choice. Daniel had threatened to take Julian away from her. What could she have done but escape? She had kept her credit card, but she also knew she couldn't use it, unbeknownst to Daniel. So she was forced to live modestly, with the cash money she had at her disposal. Which also meant that she needed a job. She had learned from Julia that she was working as a chambermaid at the Hotel Bellevue. A job that didn't bring much money but fed her and her little daughter Jill and allowed her to pay the rent for the apartment.

"Do you think they would hire me, too?" Emily asked, as the idea, working as a maid as well had formed in her mind.

"Why not?" The young woman shrugged. "They are always looking for capable staff. It's best to come with me. My shift starts in two hours. Until then, you can rest a bit."

"And what about Julian?" Emily looked skeptically at her sleeping son.

"Just take him with you," Julia suggested. "The good thing is that the hotel has its own daycare center. I'm always the first to bring Jill in the morning before I change and start my work. When I have a shift in the evening, a neighbor is looking after Jill. But you can say that you only want to work the morning shift."

Emily had to smile at the idea of working as a maid. She wondered what Victoria would think about that her daughter-in-law, who still was a Grayson, was doing work beneath her dignity. But she couldn't be picky about a job. "Agreed!" She said, sealing the deal to start her new life as a staff member in a hotel.

 **Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

"She left you?" Victoria repeated as if she couldn't quite believe what her son had just told her. "'Why?"

"No idea." He shrugged helplessly, then pulled out Emily's letter, which he handed to his mother.

Charlotte, who was sitting with her parents and Daniel at the evening table, tried not to show that this news was no surprise to her. She had actually managed to smuggle the letter and rings back into his room before Daniel had finally awakened from his drunkenness.

As Victoria read the lines, her mouth twitched into a triumphant smile. "I told you, didn't I!" She said to Daniel. "She just used you to take her revenge on us. But you didn't listen. Now you have to live with the consequences. But be glad that you got rid of her!"

"She left me and took off with Julian!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. Since he'd called the hospital and had learned that the little boy had been picked up by his mother early in the morning, he licked his wounds and pretended that it was only Emily's fault that he felt bad now. As if he had been completely unaware that she would take the plunge to leave him. "You don't know why she left you?" She said, shaking her head. "You threatened to take away the baby and even questioned the validity of your marriage! No wonder she saw no other way out than to get away from here!" Did she actually see something like remorse in her brother's eyes? Did he have a conscience after all? But she was not finished yet. "And you put the beach house into shatters, which probably was the final straw for her!"

"What did you do?" Conrad interrupted, looking at his son, bewildered. "I'm just 24 hours away, and in the meantime, the world is going under!"

"I didn't mean to," Daniel said ruefully. "I was pretty drunk, and..." He stopped and reached for his head. "I can't remember anything at all." Something Charlotte had mentioned earlier made him pause suddenly. "Wait a minute, did you just say Emily saw what I did?"

She nodded. "She just came in when Jack treated your wounds. She saw what you did with her own eyes. I think it only confirmed her decision to leave you."

Groaning in frustration, he ruffled his hair. "I really didn't mean to do it," he said again. "I was just so mad at her that she'd lied to me the entire time."

"And that's why you threatened her to take the baby away, demanded a divorce and destroyed your home?" Charlotte looked at him in disbelief. "Just because you were _mad_? You are really incorrigible, Daniel! You always shift the blame on others! But it's only your fault that she left you with Julian!" She pushed back the chair with force that it scraped over the floor. "I lost my appetite! I'll be at my room."

"Let her go," said Victoria, who had been a silent listener up until now. "She will calm down soon."

"I'll call my private investigator and ask him for help," Conrad added to the conversation and rose from his chair. "Don't worry, son," he said to Daniel, patting his shoulder softly. "We'll find them."

Victoria rose after Daniel had also left the table and had followed his father in his study. "What a shame!" She muttered. "I was hoping we'd get rid of her permanently." She sighed stagy, then left the dining room to go upstairs to her room.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading and all the nice comments! I really appreciate that you still like my work of fiction. :) I will try to make the chapters a little longer. But it's a lot of work to write a new chapter and to translate it almost at the same time. ;) The timespan between the updates will be longer then.** _


	3. Investigations

**Paris, France**

 **Two weeks later**

Time was flying, Emily noticed as she looked at the calendar and saw that she had been living in Paris for two weeks now. She had gotten the job as a chambermaid at the Bellevue and was glad to have a job, which she could distract herself. She missed her friends, and although she knew that it was not beneficial to hold on to the past, not a day passed by that she didn't think of Daniel. In the evening, when everything was quiet and she lay in her bed, she wondered whether he thought about her as well or if he had already forgotten her. She knew that it was time to report to Nolan. Especially since she hadn't heard from him since her departure at the airport in New York two weeks ago. But hadn't she asked him herself not to make contact with her? She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that Julia had entered the living room.

"The children are sound asleep," she said smiling and sat down on the sofa to Emily. "Do you want to talk a little? I can't sleep yet."

Emily nodded. Perhaps it was a good opportunity to learn a little more about her roommate. So far, both had worked different shifts and had hardly seen each other at home. Today was Friday, and they were both off from work over the weekend.

"I have to tell you something," Julia began reluctantly, avoiding Emily's gaze. "I should have told you earlier, but I didn't know how. I wanted to get to know you better first and see if I can trust you." She raised her head and looked at Emily with a serious look. "Now I know I can trust you."

"That's... great." Baffled about what that meant, Emily couldn't think of a more intelligent answer. "Is it about your husband?" She said cautiously.

Julia nodded, kneading her hands nervously. "At least indirectly." She took a deep breath. "Julia Hayes is not my real name," she confessed then. "I took on a new identity, because I was afraid that he would find me right away."

 _What a bizarre coincidence_ , Emily thought. So she was not the only one to lead a double life. But, unlike Julia, she couldn't risk to reveal her true identity. "That's a... surprise," she exclaimed. And that was it indeed, because among thousands of people who had posted an ad on the Internet, Nolan had sought out someone who shared the same destiny as she did. "Do you want to talk about it?" She began hesitantly.

Julia nodded. "I'm tired of lying all the time! It's good to tell someone the truth."

"Yes, I know the feeling," Emily muttered under her breath, then cleared her throat. "Since when do you live here?"

"For about six months. I'm originally from Ohio. There I also still have family, my mother and two sisters. My dad died when I was a little girl." She took a deep breath. "I never thought I'd leave. I was happy there."

 _Just like me_ , Emily thought and sighed inwardly. The last year in the Hamptons had been the happiest of her life. She had found what she had always wanted; a man, a child, a home...

"... And then he lost his job, started to drink and began to punch me..."

As she awoke from her daydream, she realized that Julia had already continued with her story. She tried to concentrate on what the young woman told her, but she was endlessly tired and could barely keep herself awake. The unusual physical work as a chambermaid was exhausting. And hardly an evening passed when she wasn't in bed before midnight. "Excuse me, what did you say?"

"You're tired, aren't you?" Julia said, looking at Emily. "I can still remember how I felt at the beginning. If you aren't accustomed to this kind of work, you have to get used to it slowly."

"Maybe I should do more sports." Emily shrugged. "I haven't done any physical exercises since Julian's birth. And it's been almost five months since then."

"We could go to the gym together," Julia suggested. "What do you think?"

Emily nodded as she was trying to suppress a yawn. "Yes, that's a good idea. Maybe next weekend, when we're free again."

Julia stood up. "Let's go to bed now. The night will be short enough anyway."

Emily rose as well. "Is it really okay for you?" She asked. "I mean, you just were ready to tell me something about your life before."

Julia made a dismissive hand movement. "There's no rush. It doesn't help me, either, when you fall asleep in the middle of my story." She grinned. "Don't worry. I've been keeping it for so long. Now it can wait a little longer. "

"Good night then." Emily didn't even have the strength to undress, she was too exhausted. She slipped straight into her bed, pulled the blanket over her and fell immediately asleep.

 **Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

 **The next day**

When the door-bell chimed, early in the morning, it was Charlotte who opened the door. "Hello!" She greeted the man standing in front of the door.

"James Morris," he introduced himself. "Private investigator. I would like to speak to Conrad Grayson. Is he at home?"

Charlotte gave him a piercing look. "Is it about the kidnapping?" She asked bluntly.

Morris shook his head in confusion. "I know nothing about a kidnapping." He pulled out a file and glanced at it. "It's about the missing Emily Grayson, Mr. Grayson's daughter-in-law."

Charlotte could feel a shiver running down her spine. Her father had hired a private investigator to find Emily? Why didn't she know? And how far had he come with his investigations? Emily had been gone for two weeks. Gradually, she was worried, too.

"Hey, young lady! Do you allow me to come in or not?" The PI shifted impatiently from one foot to another.

"He... he's not there," Charlotte stammered. "Can I take a message for him?"

Morris thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "You can tell him I got the approval from the airport to watch the footage that the surveillance cameras had recorded." He handed her his business card. "He can visit me in my office. There we can discuss further steps."

"Surveillance cameras?" Charlotte echoed.

Morris nodded again. "At every airport there are surveillance cameras that capture both, the passengers who enter and those who leave," he said patiently. "If Mrs. Grayson had left the country with an airplane, we'll be able to determine that from the cameras. After that, we just need to look into the different passenger lists of the individual airlines, to find out with which plane she has flown and where."

"How... convenient," Charlotte choked out with difficulty, while thoughts in her head swirled around. Was it really that easy to find someone, even though the person had taken on a new identity?

"Okay then, have a nice day!" The private investigator nodded at her again and then walked off. Dazed, Charlotte stood in the doorway, staring after him. She had to do something! She had promised Nolan that she wouldn't make contact with Emily before she reported herself, but this was an emergency. She should know that they were searching for her. Determined, she took out her cell phone and, after hesitating for a moment, she pressed Emily's stored phone number.

"Charlotte?"

Startled, she spun around as she heard Daniel's voice behind her. The cell phone slipped out of her hands, fell to the ground and then skidded over the floor until it stopped in front of his feet.

 ** **Paris, France****

Emily was sitting with Julia in a sidewalk cafe at the Champs-Elysee, enjoying the bright June sun. As she sipped at her caffe latte, she watched the people who were running through the street, looking at the window dressings or leaving the stores with shopping bags. They had let the children at their neighbor's, who baby-sat for Julia on a regular basis and watched out for Julian now, too.

"I've interrupted you yesterday," Emily started the conversation and began to stir her latte. "Would you like to tell me now what happened to you?"

Julia nodded and quickly took a sip of her cappuccino. "Where was I? Oh, yes... Ray lost his job," she continued with her story. "...and because he didn't come clear with it, he began to drink. At first I thought it was just a phase. But even though it got worse, he wouldn't realize that he had a drinking problem. We were young at the time, and I was naive to believe that love alone could heal everything. But then I became pregnant, and he shouted at me what I was thinking to have a baby, where we had no money to feed it. Jill was born, and she was anything but an easy-care baby." She sighed softly. "She screamed from the first day on and then without a break. In retrospective, I think she just responded to the tumult around her. Ray and I fought most of the time. If it went well, he just shouted at me, but sometimes he beat me too." She paused and reached for her cappuccino again. Her hands slightly trembling. "And then the day came I will never forget. He came home, totally wasted from some pub and was again on edge because of Jill's crying. He yelled at her, and when she cried louder, he took her out of her crib and began to shake her. I thought he was going to kill her, so I tried to stop him. But he fought me off. I don't know if it really was his intention, but he pushed me against the wardrobe, and I hit the corner of the door so badly that I got injured." She stopped again and took a deep breath. "He was changed after that, caring and concerned. He even brought me to the hospital, where I got stitches for my laceration." She lifted her bangs and showed Emily her scar above her eyebrow. "He promised me that he would never beat me again. But it was only a few weeks later that he broke his oath. One day, he had hit me again and left me on the floor, bleeding, I decided to leave him. Jill was 18 months old. I was really scared for my child. If he was ready to use violence against me, what would he do to her? So I got a new identity and flew to Paris. You know the rest of it." She forced a smile. "Now you know all about me."

"That's just terrible!" Emily gasped in horror. She was too shocked about Julia's story that she simply couldn't find the right words. She had thought that they shared a similar fate. But what she had experienced was nothing compared with what Julia had to endure. Spontaneously she took hold of the young woman's hands. "I'm here for you," she said sympathetically, squeezing her hand. "You can talk to me about everything."

"What about you? Would you like to tell me your story?"

The question didn't come as a surprise. It was clear that Julia, whose real name was Jessica, as Emily had learned, wanted to know something about her as well. She pondered what she could tell her without revealing her true identity. But the longer she thought about it, the more convinced she became that there was no way around than to tell her everything. If she didn't want to start her new life with a lie, she had to tell the truth. "Amanda," she muttered quietly. "My real name is Amanda Clarke." And then she told Julia everything from the beginning. The hours passed, and Emily was so engrossed in the narrative of her life story that she only paused when her cell phone made a buzzing sound in her pocket. Surprised she grabbed it and looked at the display to make the caller out.

"Who is that?" Julia asked curiously.

"My sister..." Emily said, frowning. "Except for some friends, I almost blocked everyone. Charlotte is one of those I haven't blocked yet."

"And your husband?"

"Blocked." Emily hovered with her finger over the button, when Julia quickly put her hand over hers.

"Wait! You said the two are siblings and live under the same roof?"

Emily nodded.

"If you blocked him, but not her, then it may well be that he tries to call you with the cell phone of his sister. If the connection is up, he can easily locate you."

"Wow! I'm impressed! You should have been a private investigator." Emily nodded as she thought about what Julia had just said. "You're right. It's probably Daniel, who wants to lure me into a trap." When the buzzing stopped she took one last look at the display and then put the cell phone back.

"I'm just a bit more experienced about this 'hiding' and 'life with a new identity' thing," Julia said, smiling. "If you're here for half a year, like I do now, you'll also have learned to be more careful."

Emily emptied her latte and rose. "We should go back now and pick up the children. Tomorrow is Sunday. A last chance to sleep late again."

Before Julia rose, she looked at Emily curiously. "I know pretty much everything about you now. What I don't know is how I should address you from now on when we're between ourselves... Allison, Amanda or Emily? "

Emily didn't have to think about it for long. "Emily," she decided spontaneously. "Allison is a fake name, and Amanda Clarke had long been dead."

"That's how it should be." Julia linked arms with Emily, and together they strolled back home.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

Charlotte watched Daniel anxiously as he bent over to pick up the cell phone and took a big step towards him, while picking it up herself quickly before he could grab it. She pressed the 'hang up' button and let it slide back into her pants pocket. "You scared me to death!" She said, slightly breathless, looking at him reprovingly.

"Sorry." He muttered, raising both hands defensively. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought I heard someone at the door. "

Charlotte felt her cheeks grow hot as she shrugged. "I don't know what you mean. I was here all the time. There was no one at the door," she lied.

Daniel looked at the clock. "I'll meet Dad at Grayson Global," he said. "We want to discuss how to proceed with the search for Emily."

He was about to leave the manor when Charlotte called him back. "Daniel, wait a minute!" As he turned to her with a questioning look, she took a deep breath. "Hypothetically spoken, if you find her," she began hesitantly. "What are you going to do then?"

"What I'm doing to do then?" He echoed, looking at her confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the last time we talked to each other, you wanted to get a divorce and the sole custody for Julian." She gesticulated with her hands. "Is that the main reason you want to find her, or is there another reason?" She noticed that she had startled him with her question, because his expression was baffled.

"I don't know," he finally admitted, sighing. "I haven't thought about that so far."

"Doesn't it matter to you that she still loves you?"

His head jerked up as he understood the meaning of the sentence. "You read the letter?" He said indignantly. "Haven't you heard of the privacy of letters?" His expression darkened all of a sudden. "I know what you're trying to do, Charlotte, but it won't work!" He took a step towards her and looked her in the eye. "Stay out of my life! Emily is past!"

"You gave Mom the letter to read it!" She tried to justify her actions. "Why is it different with me then?"

"Exactly." He nodded confirming. "I gave it to her to read it, you just took it from me."

"If Emily is past for you anyway, why don't you leave her alone?" Charlotte blurted out. "After all you've done to her, she just wants to start a new life and be happy again!"

"What I've done to _her_?" He repeated, looking at her in disbelief. "She lied to me the entire time and played her false game with me! If one has the right to a bit of happiness, it's me! Besides, she took my son from me, too!"

"You want Julian back but not her?" Horrified, she noticed how tears formed in her eyes. "You just want to find out where she is to ruin her life!" She accused him. "Please Daniel! Call the PI off and leave Emily alone!"

He made one big step towards her, gripped her arms and held them firmly. "How did you find out about the private investigator? Did you spy on us?"

"Let me go!" She tried to free herself from his grip, but he was stronger than her. "Dad... Dad mentioned it at the table. Don't you remember?" From the corner of her eye she suddenly saw something lying on the ground that she had dropped with the cell phone. The business card! But before she could set her foot on it, Daniel had also discovered the card and released her before he picked it up himself. Charlotte held her breath as she watched him twisting the card in his fingers.

"James Morris, private investigator," he read slowly, then raised his head to look at Charlotte. "So that is why you know about the private investigator," he said and glanced at her with a piercing look. "How did you get the business card? And this time, don't lie to me!"

"He... he just... left," she stammered, rubbing her aching arms. "He wanted to see Dad."

"So you lied to me when I asked you if anyone was here. Why?"

"Because... because I don't want you to find Emily," she confessed, then glared at him. "She is happier where she is now."

"And you know that because...?" He left the sentence open and looked at her impatiently. "I'm asking you point-blank, Charlotte, and I want a straight answer... Do you know where Emily is right now?"

She did it for Emily and Julian, she reminded herself. She hated to lie to him, but she had to protect the two of them. "No!" She turned away from him, ran quickly up the stairs to her room and then locked the door that he could no longer pester her. Then she reached for her phone again and dialed Nolan's number with trembling fingers. She was relieved when she heard his voice. "We have a problem!" She said urgently. "My father and Daniel have charged a private investigator with the search for Emily. We must warn her!"


	4. Unpleasant Surprise

****Nolan's Mansion, Hamptons****

After she had called Nolan, Charlotte had gone to the mansion straightaway to discuss the details of Emily's rescue. Fortunately, Daniel had already left when she had run off, otherwise he might have tried to stop her. But now they needed to hurry, because he now knew that the private investigator had been at the house. He would find out soon about the surveillance cameras, and then they would quickly find out Emily's hiding place.

"Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that your father hired a private investigator," Nolan said thoughtfully. "It would have been too drastic to involve the police. Especially since she didn't commit a crime and wasn't abducted. She left by her own choice."

Charlotte gnawed nervously on her lower lip. "Is it really that easy to find someone who has a new identity?" She asked worried.

He hesitated before he answered. "This always depends on the situation. But sometimes people disappear forever. Especially if the relatives stop the search at some point."

"Daniel is stubborn," Charlotte sighed. "He won't give up until he finds her." She stroked a long strand of hair behind her ear. "I asked him directly why he wanted to find her. But I didn't get a straight answer. I think it just bugs him that she left him. If it was the other way around, he wouldn't care." She rolled her eyes. "She violated his honor."

"And of course he can't accept that," Nolan added. "If the press gets wind of this, that his wife left him with the child, people will ask for reasons. Sometimes they are quick to spread gossip. And not everything they claim is true." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you think he will turn to the press and publicly declare that Emily is Amanda Clarke in real life?"

"I don't know." Charlotte answered, shrugging. "Emily has been gone for two weeks. If he had wanted to do that, he would have done it already."

"What about David? Have you heard from him?" Nolan asked.

"No." Charlotte shook her head. "But I don't care. He is my biological father, nothing more. I'm glad I wasn't close to him when he left."

"And what about the abduction? Has your father taken any action to find the kidnapper?"

"No. My mom asked him to let it go," Charlotte replied. "The police already thinks he was abducted because someone wanted to press money from the Graysons. And it's important to her that everyone thinks that. I believe she truly loved David. Therefore, she doesn't want him to be connected with the abduction. And the police hasn't found any traces that could lead to the kidnapper. So they closed the case."

Nolan nodded contentedly. "Good. Then at least this is solved. Now about Emily..." He rose from the sofa. "After you called, I already did a research on the Internet and then made a telephone call." He grinned mischievously, then bowed to her. "In front of you is standing the new employee of the private investigation company of James Morris."

"What?" She looked at him blankly.

"I called the airport authority and introduced myself as a staff member of the investigation company," Nolan explained. "I made it urgent, so they have given me an appointment for today."

"I still don't understand..." She looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I'm going to the airport, have a look at the footage, and then let the surveillance tape with Emily on it disappear. No one will notice."

"Can I come with you?" Charlotte asked excitedly.

"What are you going to play there? My assistant?" He raised his eyebrows amused. "No, just let me go there alone. Your face is much too familiar. I will also have to dress up. And if something goes wrong, you're out of the line. I really don't want you to get in trouble."

"Don't you have to identify yourself at the airport?" She asked, frowning.

"ID's can be faked, as you know very well." He smirked. "I've already done this and fabricated a business card."

"You really covered all the bases." She also rose and went to the door. "Do you report back to me when it's all over and you've finished the job?"

"Sure." He grinned. "I'll call you right away. And when we have done this, perhaps we should really try to get in touch with Emily."

With the thought that everything would be going well, Charlotte headed home.

 ** **Mill's Family Bakery, Montauk****

Victoria entered the little bakery, stopped briefly at the door and looked around with a winning smile, before she went to the person behind the counter she had wanted to meet. "Sara! What a nice surprise to meet you here," she said as a greeting and propped her sunglasses up.

"Mrs. Grayson?" Sara was visibly surprised at the unexpected visit. But she quickly recovered. "What would you like to have?"

"Call me Victoria." She grinned broadly. "We've known each other for a long time now to be on a first name basis." She affected a laugh. "I don't call you 'Mrs. Munello' either."

"Well, then... what can I do for you... Victoria?" Sara started once again.

"Much better." Victoria smiled satisfied. "As you may know, my son celebrates his 28th birthday in two weeks. I'd like to order a birthday cake for him."

Sara nodded and took out a notepad and pencil. "What kind of birthday cake do you prefer?" She asked objectively.

"I was thinking of a chocolate-egg liqueur cake," Victoria began, then paused, shaking her head. "No, this may not be a good idea where he just started drinking again." She raised her head and watched Sara's reaction curiously. And she was not disappointed.

"Danny started drinking again?" Sara said with obvious concern. "I thought he had stopped once and for all."

"Well, you can't blame him for what he's going through." Victoria watched Sara's expression again.

"What... what happened?" Sara could have slapped herself for asking this question. Daniel Grayson was history. She shouldn't care what or how he was doing.

"Well, first of all it was the affair with my husband," Victoria gave detailed information. "You surely learned about the abduction from the news." She continued quickly as Sara nodded. "And as if that was not enough, to top it all, Emily left him." She sighed stagy and ran a hand over her forehead. "I've always known that she was not the right woman for him. But he didn't want to listen to me. But the really tragic thing about all of this is that she took the baby with her." She glared at Sara. "Can you imagine how he is feeling right now? He feels bad. He can hardly bear the loss of his son. And that's the reason why he started drinking again."

"Poor Danny..." The words were out before Sara could stop them. She had thought she got over him, but apparently she was wrong. She suddenly felt miserable, thinking that he felt so bad now.

"And so I hope my little surprise party will cheer him up," Victoria concluded. "Of course you are also invited, Sara."

Surprised, the young woman looked at her. "You are inviting me to Danny's birthday party?" She asked incredulously.

Victoria nodded. "Imagine what a big surprise it will be for him to see you again after such a long time."

"I don't know..." Sara hesitated. "I'm not sure he wants to see me at all. The last time we met he told me clearly that he wanted to leave the past behind, because he wanted to have a future with Emily. I have accepted that. And I think this is the way it should be."

"But Emily is past for him," Victoria interjected. "He needs something or someone to look positively into the future again."

"I don't think I should be the one." Sara sighed softly. "I know you just want to help him, Mrs... Victoria, but so much went wrong during my relationship with Danny that is not fixable."

Victoria nodded, then cleared her throat. "An ordinary chocolate cream cake then," she said in a suddenly chilled tone. "I'll come by again when it's finished." She shoved her sunglasses back to her nose. "Then have a nice day, Sara, and forgive me the attempt to meddle in your affairs. I really want only the best for my son." She turned to leave.

"Victoria, wait!"

Slowly she turned around. "Is there anything else?"

"It's the 28th, right?" Sara said softly as she avoided Victoria's gaze.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Danny's birthday is on June 28th?" The question was purely rhetorical. Because of course she still knew his birth-date.

Victoria nodded, while a barely visible smile played around her mouth. "It's the 28th," she confirmed. "I expect your call." With this double-barreled remark, she left the bakery and went back to her car, pleased with her apparently successful attempt of match-making.

 ** **Grayson Global, NY****

When Daniel arrived at his father's office, his first act was to tell him about the visit of the private investigator. But that was not the only thing he had to report.

"Charlotte's behavior is strange," he told his father. "I can't prove it, but I think she's hiding something."

"What is she hiding?" Conrad looked at his son with a frown.

"For example about Emily's whereabouts," Daniel said dryly. "I asked her directly, and she just ran away. This shows that she has something to hide."

"Why would she want to hide that from us? Wouldn't it be in her interest too to find Emily? They were very close. And she adored Julian." Conrad shook his head. "That makes no sense."

Daniel sat down on a chair in front of his father's desk and rolled his eyes. "She thinks I'm not good for her. That is why she thinks that where Emily is now, she would be better off without me."

"That is a strange remark," Conrad said reluctantly. "What are you going to do now?"

"Have Charlotte shadowed," Daniel suggested.

"You want to have your own sister shadowed?" Conrad replied incredulously.

Daniel shrugged. "I just thought she'd take us to Emily's track."

Conrad looked at his son thoughtfully. "You know I owe Emily my life, don't you?"

Daniel frowned questioningly. He had no idea what his father wanted to say with this statement.

"If she hadn't found me in this dug-out, I'd probably be dead now," he continued, looking at Daniel with a serious expression.

"So?" Daniel said impatiently. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Just like you, I think it was no coincidence that she was there," he began reluctantly. "And I could swear that David had something to do with my abduction. That's why I've been wondering all the time whether she knew anything about it before. And if so, why did she save me instead of fleeing with him? It makes no sense at all considering that she tried to take revenge on me a few years ago, as you could get from her letter. Unless..." He took a deep breath. "...that she really became a different person, a person with a conscience and the desire for harmony and peace and a working marriage."

"You believe the gibberish from her letter?" He asked incredulously. "She really tampered with your conscience."

Conrad shook his head. "I had a lot of time to think about it and came to the conclusion that she could have left with her father, but preferred to stay and save me. You can think about her what you want, but I owe her something."

"And that means in straight talk what?" Daniel asked.

"Maybe Charlotte is right and Emily is better off without you," he finished.

"What?" Daniel thought he had misheard. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I think we should call the private investigator and tell him that we don't need his services anymore," Conrad said tightly, shrugging. "I guess I made a mistake."

"A mistake?" Daniel echoed, confused. "What kind of mistake?"

"When I suggested to hire a private investigator to find Emily, I thought you wanted to find her because you still had feelings for her. But apparently it's all about taking revenge on her, because she lied to you."

"What about Julian?" Daniel added. "He's not only Emily's son, he is mine too!"

"He is still a baby. A baby belongs to his mother," Conrad said calmly.

Daniel jumped up from his chair and looked at his father with a stunned expression. "You sided with her against your own son?"

"As I said, I owe her my life." Conrad shrugged.

"Then I'll see to it myself!" Daniel snatched the PI's business card from the desk and left the office before Conrad could stop him.

 ** **Paris, France****

Emily was sitting on the floor in front of the bathtub, staring with wide eyes at the two lines that had become visible in the field of view of the test stick. If she was honest with herself, she had already anticipated the result. She bought the test a few days ago, and had postponed the use for fear of the truth. The whole symptoms which she had been feeling for two weeks, such as fatigue, nausea, and dizziness, suddenly made sense. And although she had suspected it, it was a shock. But there was no doubt about the test result. She was pregnant! Silently groaning, she let her head sink against the bathtub. How should she continue with her life? Julian was not even six months old, and when the new baby would arrive, he would just be one year old. All her dreams and plans, which she had made for Paris, burst at this moment. She would have to give up her work as a chambermaid, because she couldn't perform the task during her pregnancy. How should she feed herself and Julian and contribute to the rent of the apartment?

"Emily? Is everything okay? You've been in there for an eternity."

When she heard Julia's worried voice, she crawled to the door on all fours and unlocked the latch. When her roommate and friend entered, she took her sitting position in front of the bathtub.

"What happened?" Worried, Julia bent over her, then gasped out a surprised, "Oh my God!" when she saw what Emily was holding. She gently took the pregnancy test from her hand and sat down beside her. "At first we should go to a doctor," she said after reading the test result. "These tests aren't always 100% reliable."

Emily nodded. "No, the tests aren't, but my body has been telling me for a few days that something is wrong."

Consolingly Julia put her arm around her shoulder. "We'll do it together," she said encouragingly. "We are already looking after two children. A third doesn't make any difference."

Tears of despair ran over Emily's cheeks all of a sudden, and she leaned her head tiredly at Julia's shoulder. "I don't know how this could happen," she sobbed. "I mean, I know it, of course, but I didn't think it was possible to get pregnant again so soon after childbirth."

"What about birth control?"

Emily shook her head. "I didn't think that would be necessary where I have not even gotten my period so far."

"Do you want to tell him?" Julia looked at her questioningly.

"Whom? Daniel?" Emily shook her head. "No way! I don't think his opinion about me has changed."

"And what about your friends or your sister?" Julia carefully wiped the tears off Emily's cheeks. "I think you should tell them. They'll find it out anyway, if you get in touch with them again."

Emily thought of Nolan, Jack and Ava, and Charlotte. How would they react? Presumably, Charlotte would be over the moon to become an aunt again. But if she would tell Charlotte, wouldn't Daniel find out about it eventually, too? She couldn't keep a secret to herself for long. "I don't know," she said in a low voice. "I will think about it."

Julia rose and put the pregnancy test into the sink. "And I'll make an appointment for you with my gynecologist for Monday." She smiled. "Always remember, you're not alone. I'll be there for you as much as you are for me."

Emily nodded and rose. "I can't tell you how grateful I am what you do for me."

"Oh, nonsense!" Julia waved her hand. "What are friends for?" She smiled at Emily. "Do you know what I always do when I feel bad?" She waited for an answer and then continued when she didn't receive any response from Emily. "Eating ice cream." She grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her over to the kitchen. "Just let us eat up the frustration," she suggested. "What do you say?"

Emily smiled. "Yes, let's plunder the ice cream supplies." She opened the freezer, took out a big ice cream tub and two tablespoons, then went to the living room where Julia was already waiting for her.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading! Reviews and comments are appreciated! :)**_


	5. Blessing

****Private Investigation Firm James Morris, NY****

When Daniel entered James Morris' office a few days later, the private investigator had bad news for him.

"As arranged with you, I went to the airport to watch the tapes of the surveillance cameras," Morris said calmly. "There, however, I was told that the tapes, probably due to a technical defect, were inadvertently deleted."

"Inadvertently deleted?" Daniel repeated disbelievingly. "How many tapes?"

"Three tapes full of recordings from the surveillance cameras that were activated at the time when your wife had probably arrived at the airport and also had flown off." The private detective looked at him with a contrite expression. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Grayson. But such things happen sometimes."

"It's a very strange coincidence that of all tapes these were deleted, don't you think?" Daniel raised his eyebrows. He saw Morris grabbing a pen and twisting it nervously in his hand while he tried to avoid Daniel's gaze. "You're hiding something. I can see that."

"All right," the private investigator finally admitted with a sigh. "You're right. There is something strange going on here." He cleared his throat. "It's true that I went to the airport as soon as possible after you have given me the order to pick up the tapes. But when I arrived, I was told that someone had already been there to see the footage. I tried to explain to the person that I would work alone and had no employees. Well..." Morris wrung his hands. "Someone knew what I had planned and was there before me. Someone who doesn't want you to find your wife."

"Someone who is highly gifted and knows how to tamper with footage on tapes," Daniel muttered thoughtfully.

Morris nodded. "Someone wants to prevent that you find out your wife's whereabouts," he confirmed, looking at Daniel curiously. "Do you know someone who comes into question?"

Daniel's hands clenched involuntarily. There was only one person who possessed these abilities and also had an interest to protect Emily: Nolan Ross! "Oh yes," he said, jumping up from his chair. "I know him, and I also know from whom he learned what we had planned."

He was well aware that he risked his driver's license as he drove through the streets with too much speed to get to Nolan's mansion as soon as possible. But he didn't care. There was so much rage and hatred inside him that he pounded against the door with his fists until the house owner finally opened.

Apparently, Nolan had guessed the reason of his visit, for he took a few steps backwards and raised his arms in a defensive gesture. "If you think you just have to hit me to find out where Emily is, you're on the wrong track."

"So you admit that you were the one who deleted the tapes of the surveillance camera?" Daniel demanded.

Nolan nodded. "It was easy. No one has noticed anything. And when they noticed what had happened, it was already too late."

"You...!" Daniel approached him in a threatening pose, his hands clenched to fists. "I'm going to beat the crap out of you!" he warned. "You either tell me where Emily is, or..." He left the sentence open.

"Or what? You're not drunk enough to be physically abusive towards me," Nolan said matter-of-factly. "But be my guest..." He spread his arms and walked towards him. "Hit me, if you feel better then."

Daniel lowered his arms slowly. As fast as his rage had come, as quickly vanished it now. "No, I'll feel better when I know where she is. You knew that with the surveillance camera from Charlotte, right?"

Nolan nodded. "She doesn't want you to find Emily either." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was for her to leave everything behind?" He said to Daniel. "She wanted to stay, even though she knew you hated her. She wanted to fight for you, your love. But then she had to witness the destruction of the last bit of hope that she still had, the beach house, her home!"

"Where is she?" He didn't want Nolan's words to affect his decision. But he had to admit that they moved something in him. "Just tell me where she is and I leave."

"I had to promise her not to tell you. And I always keep my promises."

"I'll find out where she is without your help." He turned away and was about to leave when Nolan called him back.

"What would you do if you find her?" He asked curiously. "Will you ask her to come home? Will you take Julian away from her? Or will you officially accuse her of lying?"

Charlotte had asked him the same questions, and then he didn't know the answer. But now he knew. "I want answers," he said honestly. "I want to know why she didn't tell me that she is Amanda Clarke. After all we've been through she didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth. Instead, I learned it from Charlotte. She wrote to me in her good-bye letter that she would love me. But how can I ever believe or trust her again when she has lied to me the whole time before?"

Nolan nodded. "Yes, I can understand that." He sighed. "Well, that you didn't come here for nothing... If Emily should get in touch with me, can I take a message for her from you?"

"Yes." Daniel nodded. "Tell her she's wrong. I don't hate her." With these words, he walked away and left a brooding Nolan behind.

 ** **Gynecological Practice, Paris****

Emily hadn't been that nervous for a long time, so she was glad Julia had accompanied her to the doctor and was waiting for her in the waiting room. But what was to come, she had to go through alone at first. The physical examination was over, and now the moment of truth had come.

"The test you made was correct. You're indeed pregnant, Madame Kent."

Slowly Emily opened her eyes. "Yes, I suspected it already," she admitted. "Will there occur difficulties because the last pregnancy was only recently?" She tried to remain factual so as not to burst into tears.

"When was the birth of your first child?" The doctor asked herself routinely to assess the risk.

"On January 22nd." Emily cleared her throat. "Julian was a preemie. I had an emergency c-section in the 32nd week of pregnancy because my water had broken, and afterwards he had stayed at the premature baby unit for several weeks."

"I understand." The doctor looked at her sympathetically. "He was an extreme premature baby. Can you tell me what had caused the premature labor?"

Should she really tell the doctor what had happened? She decided against it. "Stress," she replied tensely. "I just had too much stress."

"Stress?" The doctor looked at her thoughtfully. "What kind of stress?" She asked.

"An argument with my husband." She hoped the doctor would be satisfied with the answer, but she wasn't.

"Has he physically threatened you?"

"What?"

The doctor looked at her with a serious look. "Did your husband rape or beat you?" She asked bluntly.

Emily sat up abruptly. "No," she burst out, shocked. "Why do you think that? Daniel has never forced himself on me! And he would never do anything that would harm Julian. He is the most caring and loving father you can imagine!"

"And where is your husband now?" The doctor noticed Emily's hesitation and carefully put her hand on hers. "Don't get me wrong. I don't want to sound you out, I want to help you. I'm not only a gynecologist but also psychologically trained. And I could see that the news of your pregnancy was more of a shock for you than a joy. Am I right?"

Emily nodded hesitantly. "But it has nothing to do with my husband," she said reluctantly. "That we have separated is due to me, not to him. I deceived him."

The doctor raised her eyebrows. "So your husband is not the father?"

"Yes, he is." Emily rubbed her head exhausted. "Listen, the thing with me and my husband is complicated. And frankly, I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." The doctor nodded and then cleared her throat. "I respect that. To return to your first question... Yes, there is a certain risk that this baby will come earlier as well. In addition, the c-section scar is not completely healed and can tear under the pressure. It's likely that this baby will have to be delivered by c-section again. But now we're just at the beginning." She smiled softly. "Would you please lie down again? I would like to do the ultrasound."

When Emily returned to the waiting room a short time later, she held a printed ultrasound image, brochures and a brand new maternity log in her hands.

"And?" Julia looked at her questioningly. "How did it go?"

Instead of an answer, Emily put the ultrasound image into her hand. "Now it's official," she said, twisting her mouth.

Her friend hugged her spontaneously. "We should look for a larger apartment." She grinned. "It will be too small for five people."

"She thought Daniel had used violence on me. Why did she think that?" Emily saw Julia blushing. "You told her what had happened to you?" She guessed.

Julia nodded embarrassed. "Yes, I had to tell her. When I came to her, I was physically in a bad state. I had hematomas and injuries everywhere. So she asked me directly, and I didn't deny it. She probably believes, because we are friends, that we share the same fate."

"Yes, it's possible." Emily took the ultrasound image into her purse.

"Do you want to tell your friends in the States?"

Emily nodded hesitantly. "I had a few days to think about it, and I believe they deserve to know the truth."

"Good decision." Julia nodded contentedly. "In this situation you need every help you can get."

If the decision to tell the others was a good one remained to be seen, she thought, as she left the practice and went home with Julia.

 ** **'Stowaway', Montauk****

Astonished, Ava opened the envelope the postman had just brought and pulled out the card that was enclosed.

 _ _Invitation to Daniel Grayson's surprise party in celebration of his 28th birthday!  
Where: Grayson Manor  
When: June 28th  
Time: 6 pm  
Evening attire is requested!  
Response to Victoria Grayson only__

"What's this?"

She looked up, startled, when she heard Jack's voice behind her. "Don't always sneak up on me!" She chided, holding out the card to him to read. "It's from Victoria Grayson. She invites us to Daniel's birthday party."

"Doesn't it usually do the birthday child himself?" Jack asked astonished. "I can remember that I invited my guests personally."

"It's going to be a surprise for Daniel," Ava explained. "He has no idea."

"Good for Daniel." Jack snatched the card from her hand and threw it into the next trash can.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Ava exclaimed indignantly, bending down to take the card out of the trash. Carefully, she smoothed it again.

"You don't really want to go there!" Jack looked at her incredulously. "Since when do you or I belong to Daniel's circle of friends?"

"Charlotte will be there, too," Ava said, instead of answering his question. "And I guess, Nolan has also gotten such an invitation."

"We can always meet Charlotte and Nolan in private," Jack said. "Why at a party which is hosted by Victoria Grayson?"

"Because it's so much more fun," Ava replied laconically. "I've heard the Graysons' parties are legendary. It's something special when you get a personal invitation. You automatically belong to the high society then."

"Don't be smug about it." Jack smirked. "I bet everyone gets such an invitation. But not all of them attend the event."

"Please, Jack!" Ava begged. "I really want to go to the party. Maybe we'll find out something about Emily. I'm sure Charlotte or Nolan have already heard from her."

"Then they would have told us. But well..." He sighed defeated. "If it means so much to you, let's go to that damned party." He laughed when Ava threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Thank you! You're the best!" She looked at the calendar and became worried. "It's already Saturday in one week! Where shall I get an evening gown in such a short time?"

"Your wardrobe is full of clothes," Jack noted with a smile. "You can't tell me that you can't find anything in there that you can wear. It's only for a few hours."

"It's not any party. It's a Grayson party! You can't wear anything you've already worn before," said Ava indignantly. "I guess the press will also be there."

"Now I'm really scared!" Jack raised his arms in a stagy gesture. "I haven't thought about that. I guess I need a new suit then, too?" He grinned at Ava mischievously.

"Definitely."

"All right. Then I should open the bar to earn some money, so that I can afford a new suit at all." He gave Ava a kiss and then went back behind the counter.

 ** **Nolan's Mansion, Hamptons****

Deep in thought, Nolan held the invitation card from Victoria Grayson in his hands and wondered what to do with it. Should he go to the party or rather not? When he and Daniel had seen each other the last time, it had been a peaceful farewell. Even though if he knew that the young man still held a grudge against him, he hadn't revealed Emily's whereabouts. So far, however, he had attended each Grayson Party in the last four years. Why shouldn't he go to this one too, even if the relationship between him and the birthday boy was a little tense? He had just made his decision when his cell phone rang. A look at the display and he could feel his heart beating faster with a thrill of joy.

"Ems! Finally!" He exclaimed, before she could say a word. "I thought I had to send a search party. How are you?"

 _ _"Hi Nolan! It's also nice to hear your voice!"__

Her voice sounded tired and somehow husky. As if she had been crying. He felt instinctively that something was wrong. "Ems, what's going on?" He asked, worried.

 _ _"How do you know that something is going on?"__

"Come on! You can't fool me. We've known each other for too long. I can hear that you're not feeling well. What happened?" He repeated again.

For a moment, he didn't hear anything, and then a soft sob reached his ear. His stomach clenched painfully and he gripped the cell phone tighter. "Talk to me!" He demanded.

 _ _"I... I don't know how I..."__

He interrupted her stammering. "Relax! Take your time and then tell me what's going on." He shifted from one foot to another, tensely, while waiting for her to continue.

 _ _"Nolan, I... I just came from the doctor. I'm pregnant!"__

He had expected everything, but not this kind of news. Shocked, he held his breath.

 _ _"Nolan? Are you still there?"__

"Yes." Nervously he ran a hand through his hair. "What can I say in such a situation? Congratulations?" He heard her softly moaning. "Okay, I was just kidding. It was probably a shock, right?"

 _ _"I still can't believe it. And at first I wasn't sure if I should tell you. Please keep it for yourself, for the time being."__

"If you like." He nodded. "Shall I say anything to Ava, Jack and Charlotte?"

 _ _"Not yet. I'm afraid Daniel will find out then."__

"You know that you can't keep it a secret forever, right?" Nolan said. He paused before he spoke on. "Come back home, Ems! We will find a solution. Right now you shouldn't be alone."

 _ _"I'm not alone. Julia is here."__

"This is not the same. And you know that, too. Here is your family, your friends. Or allow me to come to you," he suggested spontaneously, "I'll take the next plane."

 _ _"Okay."__

"Pardon?" Nolan thought he had misheard. "Did you just say 'okay'? Is this an invitation?"

 _ _"Something like that. I just realized how much I miss my friend. And we can talk better face-to-face, than by phone."__

"I'm on my way!" He could hardly wait to see her again. "I just grab a few things and..." He paused. "Oh crap, I had promised Charlotte to meet her at my place."

 _ _"Please don't tell her where you're flying! Promise me, Nolan!"__

"I'll be as silent as a grave. But I must call her and cancel our appointment at least "

 _ _"Do you have your fax machine on standby?"__

"Yes, why?" He frowned.

 _ _"You'll see."__

He didn't need to wait very long until his fax machine gave the message that something had arrived. Puzzled, he looked at the black-and-white picture before realizing what Emily had sent him. "This is another offspring of the next Grayson generation," he commented on the ultrasound image. "Maybe I should put it in a box, wrap it up with a ribbon around it and give it to Daniel as a birthday gift," he said dryly. "I have received the invitation today and haven't bought a gift for him yet."

 _ _"This is not funny, Nolan!"__

"No it's not. Sorry!" He cleared his throat. "You know I have a black humor sometimes. But let's get back to the actual topic." He put the printout on the table. "I quickly call Charlotte and tell her..." He couldn't finish the sentence when it knocked at the door. "Ems? There she is. I have to hang up. I'll call you later again."

 _ _"Okay, talk to you later."__

He hung up, went to the door and let Charlotte in. It was too late when he realized that he had forgotten to take the ultrasound image from the table. As she froze on the spot and her eyes widened, he knew she had spotted it. He was powerless when she took the printout and looked at it with a shocked expression.

"Emily is... pregnant?!"


	6. Reason

****Nolan's Mansion, Hamptons****

"How do you know...?" He slipped out, and looked at her puzzled.

"That the image is from Emily?" Charlotte completed the sentence. "Well, first, the address of the sender at the top of the fax is a number from France, and secondly, the caption on the ultrasound image is all in French. Besides, you told us that Emily has a new name." She pointed to the name that was listed at the top. "Allison is Emily, right?"

Nolan nodded hesitantly. It was pointless to deny. "Because you know now, please keep it for yourself," he said urgently. "Emily doesn't want Daniel or your parents to know."

Charlotte looked at the picture more closely and a smile flitted across her face. "I can't believe it, I will be aunt again," she said happily. "How long has she known?"

"She was at the doctor today," Nolan said. "She called me and revealed it to me."

"She must come home again," Charlotte blurted out. "The situation has completely changed. What if something happens to her or the baby? Then we're not even there." She perked her eyebrows up. "Remember her last pregnancy. She had these panic attacks at the time, and there must always be someone around her."

"She had lost her memory, and the fact that she was able to recall details scared her and caused the attacks," he clarified. "I don't think this will happen again."

"Is she planning to tell Daniel?"

"No." Nolan sighed softly. "On one hand I can understand her decision, on the other hand he has a right to know it. He is the father after all. Whether they live separately or not. The same is true of Julian." He cleared his throat. "I just don't believe she is ready to discuss it."

"So you got an invitation to Daniel's secret birthday party, too," she suddenly changed the subject as she saw the card lying on the mantelshelf. "My mom already has very specific ideas about how the whole thing should take place." She rolled her eyes. "I'd like to decline, but I can't do that to Daniel."

Nolan laughed at her remark. "It seems you like your brother very much," he said with a smile.

"I love my brother," Charlotte said emphatically. "It's the parties of my mother I hate. She must always go overboard with that."

"I probably won't be there anyway on the 28th," Nolan said, avoiding her gaze.

"What? You will chicken out? "She shook her head. "You can't do this to me! You have to come!"

"I didn't say I don't want to come, I just won't be there. I'm going on a trip for a few days," he explained, hoping that she wouldn't ask again. But Charlotte was persistent.

"You are going on a trip, where to?" Her gaze fell on the ultrasound image again, and suddenly a light dawned on her. "You're going to Paris to Emily, right?" She saw as Nolan twisted his mouth. "Don't deny it! I can see if you're lying to me."

Groaning, he ran a hand through his hair. "You give me the creeps!" he admitted. "Do you have a sixth sense, or are you a witch and just don't know it? "

"A bit of both." Charlotte laughed, but quickly became serious again. "So I'm right? You're going to Paris? "

Nolan nodded. "And I plan to stay a bit longer there. That's why I can't attend Daniel's surprise party."

"And I just found a reason not to go there, too," Charlotte said snippy. "Please, Nolan, take me with you!" she begged.

"No way!" He didn't even need to think about it. His decision was final. Especially since he had promised Emily not to tell Charlotte. "This is far too dangerous. No one from your family should know where Emily is. And believe me, as soon as you put one foot into a plane, you will be followed."

"And what about you?"

"I'm used to moving without leaving traces," he said cryptically. "Just leave it be, Charlotte. I know you want to see her again. But it would be too suspicious if we both disappear."

She knew he was right. "All right. Then I just stay and attend this stupid party, "she said sulking. "And you will report back immediately when you are back!"

"I promise you faithfully." He crossed his fingers.

"Tell Emily that I love her and miss her dreadfully." Charlotte wiped a tear from her eye. "And try to convince her that she has to come back. She belongs here, to us!"

Nolan nodded silently. He didn't believe that Emily was considering a return at all, but he would talk to her about it, for Charlotte's sake. He gently pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight. "I'll call you when I arrive. But now I really have to pack my stuff." He let go of her and stepped back. "And please, don't tell anyone what you have seen or heard here!"

Charlotte nodded. "Have a good flight!" She wished before she opened the door and left the mansion.

 ** **Beach House, Hamptons****

It was the first time he set foot into the beach house, after his rampage in an alcohol induced state, three weeks ago. A clearance company and cleaners had taken care of the cleansing, so that nothing reminded of the incident. But the house was empty, uninhabited and bleak. Nothing reminded of the love and warmth that once ruled here. Everything had been destroyed. As he stepped out onto the porch and looked out to the ocean and the beach, he remembered the beautiful moments he and Emily had shared here, and the joint plans they had made for their future. The beach house had been their home. Here they had wanted to live together a happy life, raise Julian and maybe even one or two more kids. But now everything was shattered: their marriage, their plans, their home. He looked up as he saw someone coming along the path to the house.

"There you are." Conrad slowly went up the stairs to the porch and stood next to his son. He looked out to the ocean, lost in thought. "I've come to talk to you again," he said quietly. "I don't want this thing between us. You are my son. And it's not true that I'm against you just because I accept Emily's decision."

He laughed bitterly. "It's probably the irony of my life that I always have to destroy everything that means something to me."

"You're talking about the beach house?"

Daniel nodded. "This and my marriage. I was at Nolan's. He knows where Emily is, but he didn't want to tell me. Just like Charlotte and you, he thinks I just want to hurt her and she'd be better off without me." He pushed off from the balustrade, pacing back and forth. "Did anyone ever ask how I feel about it?" He looked at his father despairingly. "I have lost the love of my life, my son and my home! I was happy here. Even though Emily and I had made plans to move to Paris after our wedding, we soon realized we belong here."

Conrad gently put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "You know it's up to you, what will happen between the two of you in the future," he said cautiously.

Daniel turned to him. "What future? She left me, not the other way round. With her escape, she clearly showed that she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the rings. "Here! She even gave me the engagement and wedding band back to throw them into the ocean! "

"She was angry and hurt. She didn't mean it like that," Conrad tried to soothe him.

"She meant every word she said." Daniel clasped his fingers tighter around the rings and gazed at the ocean with a thoughtful look. "She wants me to plunge them in the ocean? She can have that." He turned away and ran down the stairs.

"Daniel, wait!" Conrad followed his son and finally found him on the beach, his eyes fixed on the foaming waves, still holding the rings firmly in his hands.

"I can't do this," he whispered as he noticed his father beside him. "Right here at this place, I proposed to her the second time and gave her the rings. I swore to her that I would make her happy until the end of our lives and never leave her." He looked at the rings one more time before sliding them back into his pants pocket.

Conrad looked at him thoughtfully before he made a decision. "I'll help you!" He said determined.

"What do you mean?" Daniel looked at his father for the first time.

"I'll help you find Emily," Conrad repeated.

"Why now after you told me recently that Emily would be better off without me?" He asked confused.

"I think I made a mistake back then." Viewing the confused expression on his son's face, he continued speaking quickly. "I think it might not be too late for the two of you." He touched Daniel's arm gently. "Let's go! I have to make an important phone call."

Still baffled about the sudden change of meaning, Daniel followed his father as he went back to the manor.

 ** **Paris, France****

 **The next day**

After landing on French terrain, Nolan first went to rent a car and then headed straight to a hotel near Emily's residence. When he finally was standing outside the door and waiting for someone to open, he felt his heart throbbing nervously.

"Nolan!" Emily didn't even let him in, but threw herself in his arms and squeezed him. She was so happy to see him again that she wept for joy.

"Hey! It's okay. Don't cry! I'm here now and have the intention to stay for a while," he misread her emotional outburst.

"I... don't cry because I'm sad, but because I'm happy," she sobbed at his shoulder.

"Ah, I understand, it's the hormones." He stepped back and eyed her worried. "Are you all right?"

Emily nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine now," she said smiling. "I didn't think it would be so hard to start a new life here."

"Have you found a job?"

"I worked as a chambermaid in a hotel. But I can't do my duty anymore because I'm pregnant." She placed a hand on her still flat stomach. "They don't allow pregnant women to work there."

"Do you need money? You know you just have to ask. I have enough of it on the bank." He grinned mischievously.

"Thanks, but I can't accept that." She suppressed a yawn. "Sorry, but I slept badly last night. Julian was awake three times, and my mind was occupied, too." She opened the door. "But come in! We better go inside to talk." She led him into the living room and offered him a seat.

"It's nice here," Nolan said, looking around. "A little small but very cozy."

Emily laughed. "You find everything small, which is smaller than the rooms in your mansion. Actually, the apartment is quite large. But Julia has already said that we need a bigger one."

"Where is your roommate?" He inquired curiously.

"She works as a chambermaid at the Bellevue Hotel. This is in the center of Paris. I worked there too, but as I said..." She gestured to her stomach. "I have to find something else until the baby comes. Otherwise, I can't pay the rent and food for Julian and me." She brushed her short hair back." You haven't said anything about my new hairstyle."

"I liked the long hair better. But it's more handy," he commented.

"That was not the reason why I got the haircut. I just want to remain unrecognized," she explained. "Here in Paris is the headquarters of the 'Voulez Magazine'. I have to be careful. Of course, the French also read the magazine and exchange gossip. And I guess, everyone here knows who the Graysons are." She rolled her eyes. "I probably should have gone back to the Maldives instead of Paris, where the Graysons are still omnipresent."

Nolan frowned. "Yes, that's right. I remember. They have a residence in Paris. Charlotte had been there for a few months after Declan Porter had died."

"And Victoria lived here, too," Emily added. "Daniel told me about it. And he was here as well a couple of times. Probably also a reason why he wanted to live with me in Paris after our wedding." She sighed softly. "Speaking of Daniel... How is he?"

Nolan remembered the conversation with the young Grayson heir and what he had entrusted to him in the end of their talk. "I should tell you that you were wrong," he said reluctantly. "He doesn't hate you."

Emily looked at him surprised. "You spoke to him?"

Nolan nodded. "He came to me to question me about your whereabouts," he began hesitantly. "But I didn't tell him."

"Why did he think you knew where I was?"

He decided to tell her everything. So he started from the beginning and told her about the detective and the surveillance cameras and the successful erasing of the footage on the tapes.

"Wow!" She said, when he had finished. "I'm just three weeks away, and in the meantime so much has happened of which I knew nothing."

"It was good that Charlotte had informed me straightaway. Otherwise it might have been too late, and Conrad and Daniel would have found out by then about your whereabouts."

"I don't know how to thank you for it," she said visibly affected. "And Charlotte, too."

"Oh, that's easy," Nolan said, smiling. "You just have to come back. This would give her the greatest pleasure."

"I would love to. I miss you all very much!" She looked at him thoughtfully. "Daniel told you he wouldn't hate me? What's his feelings about me, then?"

Nolan shrugged. "Come home and find out," he suggested. "It's never too late to cut your stay short and return."

"To reunite with Daniel as if nothing had happened?" She shook her head. "I don't think I can do that, after everything what happened."

"Even though you love him and expect a child from him?" He asked bluntly.

"Are you here to hook me up with Daniel again?"

"You know I'm always striving for harmony." He smirked. "I think the two of you should have a talk before you make the decision to stay here forever," he said honestly. "You left him without talking to him at all."

"He wanted a divorce and sole custody for Julian. Besides, he doubted the validity of our marriage," she listed the things Charlotte had told her. "Isn't that proof enough that he won't have anything to do with me?"

"Maybe, but sometimes you say things in the heat of passion you don't mean."

Emily was just about to reply, when she heard a key in the door lock and then saw Julia entering the living room. Her little daughter Jill was with her, and she carried the five-month-old Julian in her arms.

"I just picked them up from Marie," she began, then paused when she spotted Nolan. "Who is that?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nolan Ross," he introduced himself. "We were talking to each other on the phone."

"Oh, yeah. I remember now. You are Emily's friend." She smiled at him, then bent down to Emily and put Julian in her arms. "I'll be right back. I'll just bring Jill in her room. She needs her midday nap."

Emily looked down at her sleeping son and sighed. "No wonder he's so restless at night-time when he sleeps all day."

Nolan eyed the little boy thoughtfully. "He looks a lot like Daniel." He gently stroked the baby's dark hair. "Victoria has a baby photo of him on the mantelshelf at Grayson Manor..."

"Could we quit the Daniel topic for today?" Emily interrupted him annoyed. "It's not like I'm not constantly reminded of him anyway."

Julia appeared in the living room again. "Jill is sleeping now, and I have time to prepare dinner." She looked at them expectantly. "What do you like to eat?"


	7. Birthday Surprise

**Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

 **June 28th (** ** **10 days later)****

"Happy Birthday!"

When Daniel entered Grayson Manor late in the evening, seeing the many guests who apparently had gathered in the hall of the manor to celebrate his birthday, he didn't know whether he should flee or endure the surprise party. He was tired from a long workday at the publishing house and a following visit at James Morris' private investigation company and only longed for peace, a shower and his bed. But in view of the number of invited guests, congratulating and hugging him now and handing gifts over to him, he probably would refrain from it. He forced himself to smile and feign excitement. Something that he wasn't doing for the first time. He was a Grayson. He had been born and raised to fake emotions. So he shook hands and smiled well-behaved. But there was one person who noticed how he really felt.

"Congratulations, Daniel!" Charlotte exclaimed loud and clear, that everyone could hear it, hugged him briefly, and then maneuvered him into another room. "I'm really sorry! I should have warned you. But then I would've ruined Mom's performance." She rolled her eyes demonstratively. "I know how much you hate such parties. But just play along, okay?"

Daniel nodded and then grinned at his sister. "Believe me, I will return the favor on your birthday," he threatened, then put an arm around her shoulder lovingly. "Come on!" He demanded. "Let's get back to the party." They went back to the hall.

"My beloved son!" Victoria walked to Daniel and hugged him. "I can't believe it's been 28 years since I brought you home from the hospital." She kissed his cheek one more time and released him.

Daniel was about to turn away when he heard a man's voice behind him.

"Oh yes, that was just perfect. Could I have this pose again?"

He turned around in confusion and stared straight into a camera lens. "You are...?" He began, but was interrupted.

"I'm from the Daily News," the photographer introduced himself. "Mrs. Grayson engaged me to take pictures for our magazine."

 _Of course!_ Daniel had to suppress a moan. Victoria Grayson didn't leave nothing to chance. "Was it really necessary to invite the press, Mom?" He asked her with clenched teeth while he struck the same pose again.

"Of course," she whispered to him. "It's important that we make a good impression, especially now that it became publicly known that Emily left you."

"What?" He let go of her as if he had burned himself and stepped back. "What do you mean by that?" he asked shocked.

Victoria quickly turned to the photographer. "Thank you, that's enough for now," she said, making a gesture that he should go. "We can't talk here," she hissed. "Come with me!" She took his arm and dragged him over to her husband's study.

"Okay, speak up! How does the press know that Emily and I live apart?" He asked, as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Guilty." Victoria smiled nervously. "They asked me for an interview, in celebration of your birthday, and I may have mentioned that you are now single again."

"Are you out of your mind?!" He didn't even try to soften his voice. "How dare you to pass this on to the press? Besides, nothing could be further from the truth!"

"Daniel, calm down and lower your voice!" Victoria tried to soothe her son. "Of course I told them, that only she was to blame for your separation. She left you. And a divorce is only the logical consequence of it."

With one step he was face to face with her and gripped her arms. "You go public and revoke that!" He threatened her. "I'm neither single nor had Emily left me out of spite. We had difficulties as many couples have. And we are just taking a time out to become clear with our feelings."

"This is your father's doing!" She hissed and tore away from him. "He put the idea in your head, that you and Emily get together again. But can't you see that she's not good for you, Daniel?"

"Since when do you know what's good for me?" He asked sarcastically. "You're only interested in yourself and what is best for you! That's why you asked Dad to stop the search for David Clarke." He saw her flinching. "Now you're speechless, huh? I know a lot more than you think."

"Daniel, I beg you..." She looked at him uneasily. "Please don't tell anyone that you know David is behind the kidnapping of your father!" She pleaded.

"Agreed. Then you tell the press that Emily and I never intended to get divorced."

"This is blackmailing!" she said indignantly.

"What goes around, comes around." Daniel said with sarcasm. "And now we should go back to this farce of a party and continue to play loving mother and loving son in front of the guests." He grabbed her arm again and pulled her along with him. But when they had left the study, he caught sight of someone whom he hadn't expected. "Sara?" He gasped out incredulously, then went towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"Happy birthday, Danny!" She hugged him briefly, then stepped back and gave him a bashful smile. "I hope it's not an unpleasant surprise for you to see me here?" She asked softly.

"No, not at all. I'm glad you're here." And this time it was not a lie. He was really glad to see her again.

"You certainly don't mind if I go back to our guests," Victoria interjected and smiled at Sara. "Hi, Sara! How wonderful you could come."

"Victoria..." Sara nodded stiffly.

Daniel looked back and forth between the two, then frowned. "It's no coincidence that you're here, is it?" He asked directly.

Sara could feel the heat rising on her cheeks. "No, it's no coincidence. Your mother was in our bakery and ordered a birthday cake for you," she admitted. "We got into a conversation, and she invited me to your party."

He looked at her long and thoughtfully. "How long it's been that we saw each other the last time?"

"About three or four months. We both attended Jack Porter's birthday party," she reminded him. "Jack and his new girlfriend are also here today." She looked around. "There they are!" She pointed to the dance floor, where some couples had already gathered and swayed to the beat of the music.

Daniel followed her gaze and looked at her how she watched the dancing couples. "Would you like to dance?" He asked her, stretching out his hand.

"I'd love to." Hesitantly, Sara put her hand in his and followed him to the dance floor.

It was strange to hold her in his arms again. Since their separation at that time, it had only been Emily for him. He had absolutely no interest in other women. And now he caught himself thinking that he wished it was Emily and not Sara, who was in his arms. He closed his eyes and gave himself completely to the feeling of music and his daydream. He noticed how she moved closer to him and even rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, this is awesome!"

Startled, he opened his eyes as the flashlight penetrated his closed eyelids. But as fast as the photographer had taken the photo, he had also retreated as quickly. Daniel jerked to a halt and took a step back.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked, confused.

"We've just been photographed," he murmured, still dazed.

"So?" Sara frowned questioningly. "What's so bad about that? The photographer, as far as I've noticed, has taken pictures of all the guests."

Daniel nodded. He couldn't explain why it bothered him that he had been photographed with Sara. Nobody assumed that they were more than just friends because they had danced together. He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Of course! His mother had asked the photographer to take the picture. The last proof that he was serious with a final separation from Emily. He had to find the photographer and force him to delete the photo! But when he looked around, there was no trace of him. Instead, he saw his mother approaching him with a broad grin.

"May I take him with me for a moment?" She asked Sara. "He should cut into his birthday cake now."

"You did that on purpose," he hissed, as they walked over to the table, where the multi-storey chocolate-cream-cake was placed.

"What do you mean?" She looked at him frowning.

"The photographer... Sara and I..." he accused her. "You want to force us together for all one is worth."

She shook her head. "I think you're gradually getting paranoid." She pursed her lips. "I haven't done anything what you blame me for."

They approached the table and Daniel reached for the cake knife. After a moment's hesitation, he cut the first piece of the cake and declared the party open under applause of the guests.

"Did you see that earlier?" Ava pinched Jack in his rib to get his attention while they were standing around Daniel's birthday cake, waiting to get a piece of it.

"What exactly do you mean?" He looked at her questioningly.

"Sara and Daniel..." Ava said, raising her eyebrows. "They couldn't keep their hands off each other on the dance floor."

"Where you're always looking at." Jack rolled his eyes. "I didn't see anything."

"This is typically male." She looked at him reproachfully. "No eye for detail."

"I just don't care to take part in the gossip," he said simply, taking the piece of cake and then after Ava had received hers too, looked for a place in the room where they could eat.

"There, look!" Ava's gaze was still fixed on Daniel and his guest. "Now she even puts her hand on his and helps him to slice the cake. Like at a wedding, when the couple cuts the cake together." She frowned. "Emily would go ballistic if she'd see that!"

"Fortunately she's not here." He sighed softly. "How long has she been gone, one month? You can't blame Daniel for not waiting forever." He raised his eyebrows, grinning. "He's a healthy young man in his prime age. He also has his needs."

Ava dropped the fork and looked at him shocked. "Do you actually hear what you're saying?" She looked suspiciously at the two of them and then held her breath as she watched Sara put a piece of cake into Daniel's mouth. "Oh no," she said. "You're right. Looks like they're sleeping together."

"You said that." Jack grinned.

"And you implied it," she retorted. "But look at them. They look as they were deeply in love. Gross!" She looked away.

Jack laughed. "You're right. We would have missed something if we hadn't attended the party. This is better than any movie."

Ava punched his arm. "That's not funny, Jack! I feel bad for Emily. You know how much she still loves him. It will break her heart when she learns that he is making out with Sara while she is trying to get him out of her head in Paris."

Confused, Jack looked at her. "Women are a mystery to me." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Emily left him and went to Paris to get him out of her head. But on the other hand, her heart is going to break when she learns that Daniel has a new girlfriend?" He shook his head. "If she really loves him as much as you say, she should come back and fight for him."

"Yes, she should," Ava muttered, her eyes still on the couple, who were now about to leave the party together. "Where are they going now?"

"Stop looking at them and eat your cake!" Jack said slightly irritated, but his request fell on deaf ears.

"They're going to the beach," Ava noted as she saw in which direction the two disappeared. "Come on!" She put the plate with the cake aside and grabbed Jack's hand. "Let's go after them!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said hesitantly, then sighed softly as she didn't let go. He followed her. But what they saw then let them stop dead in their tracks. Daniel had his hands on Sara's shoulders, and she had bent forward, obviously with the intention of kissing him.

"Okay, let's get out of here!" Ava pulled him back in the other direction. "I've seen enough. I don't want to see them having sex on the beach!"

Jack just followed her. "Then I'd say let's go home. We should say good bye to the host first and then leave."

Ava nodded. "Daniel is such a douchebag! I know he's in his prime age and has sexual needs, but he's still married!"

When they went back to the party, Charlotte crossed their path.

"Hey, the two of you! Have you seen my brother?"

Ava pointed to the beach. "Over there in the back. But I wouldn't disturb him now," she said, raising her eyebrows. "He's busy."

"Busy?" Charlotte repeated, confused.

"With Sara," Jack explained. "Both look very much in love." He saw her eyes widen in horror. "What's wrong?" He asked, confused.

"That just can't be true," Charlotte stammered. "Not now that Emily is..." She stopped in the middle of the sentence and then quickly lowered her head.

"That Emily is... what?" Ava asked, glaring at her. "Spit it out, Charlotte! You know something. We were really patient, because we knew Emily needed her distance. But now it's been a month since we heard of her the last time. We are her friends. We have a right to know what's going on with her."

Charlotte was uncertain. Should she tell them what she knew? "I can't," she said finally. "I had to promise Nolan that I wouldn't say anything."

"So, there is anything you were hiding from us?" Jack asked.

Charlotte nodded. "If I tell you, then promise me that you won't tell anyone about it. No one!" She repeated. "Especially not a word to Daniel!"

Ava and Jack nodded in unison. "We promise."

Charlotte moved closer. "Nolan flew to Paris to visit Emily," she began. "That is why he couldn't be here today. And Emily..." she hesitated for a moment before continuing in her story. "Emily learned that she's pregnant again, two weeks ago."

"Pregnant?!" Ava gasped out.

Charlotte nodded. "Nolan flew to Paris to convince her to come back," she said. "But he's been there for more than a week now, without a result."

"I think I have an idea how we can persuade Emily to return," Jack said suddenly, grinning.

"Do you want to tell us about it?" Ava frowned at him.

"Soon." He gave her a kiss. "You will be the first to get to know it," he said to Ava.

"And what about me?" Charlotte looked at him indignantly.

"You're the second. But give me a couple of days, okay? I have to prepare something for it," he said secretively.

"It's a surprise, isn't it?"

Jack didn't comment on Charlotte's remark, but only smiled.

"I hate surprises!"Ava groaned, reaching for his hand. "Let's go now. I've had enough 'surprises' for tonight."

"We'll say goodbye to your parents," Jack said to Charlotte before he left with Ava, looking for the hosts.


	8. Seduction

**On the Beach, Hamptons**

 **June 28th** **(continued)**

As Sara bent forward to kiss him, he knew he had to put an end to it before it was too late. He didn't love her any more, and it would be unfair to lead her to belief that he still had feelings. But it was crazy how his body was still reacting when he was near to her. As if his mind was separated from his body. Gently he pushed her away before she could place her lips on his.

"I think it's better to go back to the others," he said with a husky voice.

"But I've felt that you want it, too," she breathed softly, placing her hand around his neck to pull him closer to her.

"Sara..." He removed her arms from his neck and stepped back. "I don't want to hurt you." But that was exactly what he had done, as he realized now, when he looked into her tearful hazel eyes.

"It's because of Emily, am I right?" She asked softly.

He didn't know how to reply to that. Actually, he wasn't really sure about anything at all. Emily's lies had destroyed something in him. And he didn't know if he could ever trust her again. The basis of every working relationship. But he also had admitted to himself that he missed her. It was a tricky situation. He couldn't live with but also not without her.

"I understand if you need time," Sara said knowingly. "The two of you haven't been separated for so long. I'm ready to wait for you until the divorce is final."

His head jerked up. Had he missed something? What had given her the idea that the two of them would become a couple again and that he wanted to get a divorce? Suddenly the truth dawned upon him. It was his mother's doing. She had talked about him to Sara.

"You're afraid of the gossip when they see us together because they think you're cheating on your wife. Is it so?" Sara continued. "I totally get that. They don't know the truth about your marriage. We should keep our relationship a secret."

He nodded automatically because the growing lump in his throat prevented him from speaking. And when he heard that a familiar voice called his name, he was so relieved that he wanted to sink into the sand. "It's Charlotte," he shouted, turning away from Sara and running towards his sister. "Save me!" He begged her.

Charlotte frowned at his strange remark, but played along. "We're looking for you everywhere," she said, grabbing his arm. "Sorry," she said to Sara. "I didn't want to disturb you. But some of the guests want to leave and would like to say goodbye to Daniel."

He looked at Sara apologetically. "There you see. Duty calls." He was already on the move, as he turned around to her again. "Are you coming with us?" When she nodded and followed them, he hoped that she would remember what she had just told him. She wouldn't dare to seduce him in front of the guests!

The party was still in full swing when they reappeared, and Daniel was glad to be able to mingle with the other guests. But the peace didn't last long when Charlotte appeared next to him.

"Tell me more about what you and Sara had done outside?" She demanded.

"Nothing." He replied, clearing his throat. "We just talked."

"Really?" She put her hands on her hips and looked at him reproachfully. "Then I don't understand why Sara told me in confidence that you and her have a secret relationship?"

"What?" He looked at her incredulously. "She didn't actually say that!"

"Oh yes, and exactly with these words." She glared at him. "You know, I can imagine why she thinks that, just the way you flirted with her." She rolled her eyes.

"I didn't flirt with her," Daniel defended himself. "We just danced, and then she felt heated and wanted to cool off in the fresh air."

"My goodness, Daniel! Are you really that blind and naive? Everyone can see that she's still in love with you! It may be that Mom also recognized it and therefore invited her to the party, but I would have thought you more intelligent."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, confused.

"You danced with her, fed her with cakes, and then went to the beach with her where the two of you could be undisturbed." She rolled her eyes. "Can you blame her for believing that you want to get involved with her again?

"What should I have done?" He said desperately. "She is my guest. Should I be rude to her? I like Sara. She meant a lot to me. But that's long gone!"

"Does she know?" Charlotte eyed him skeptically. "I don't think so. And you lied to me. You didn't just talk to each other. You were making out!"

"That's a lie!" he said furiously.

"No, it's not" Charlotte countered. "Jack and Ava watched you."

"I don't know what they saw but there was nothing," he emphasized again, then raked through his hair, groaning. "Fine," he finally admitted. "She tried to kiss me. But it didn't happen, because..."

"Ah, I see. I interrupted you," Charlotte cut him off.

"No, dammit!" He looked around quickly to see if other guests had noticed his outburst of fury. "It didn't happen because I didn't want to kiss her," he admitted quietly. "I don't want Sara. I want..." He suddenly stopped. He almost had confessed that he wanted Emily back, but he wasn't sure if the time was already ripe to tell the family. So far, only his father, who supported him in the search for Emily, knew about his true feelings. "I don't want to have a new relationship for the time being," he finished.

Charlotte looked at him thoughtfully. "What does that mean?" She asked.

"That I should have a serious talk with Sara before she thinks we're a couple again." He looked around searchingly. "Do you know where she is?"

Charlotte pointed to the top. "I think she said something about that she wanted to refresh herself."

"Okay, I'm looking for her." He went up the stairs and looked in the bathrooms, but he couldn't find her. Following an inner intuition, he finally opened the door to his room and didn't believe his eyes. Sara lay in his bed, clothed only with bra and panties and smiled at him seductively.

"There you are, Danny! I thought you wouldn't come anymore."

He quickly closed the door and stood in front of it. "Sara, what are you doing here?" He said with a husky voice.

She got out of bed and walked slowly and with swaying hips toward him, licking her lips lasciviously. "I thought we could continue where we left off on the beach."

As she pressed him against the door and began rubbing her body against him, he knew he was caught in a trap. And though his mind warned him that he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life, he allowed her to press her lips against his and let her drag him over to his bed.

Her body felt warm and soft under his hands, and her lips tasted sweet and seductive. When he opened the hooks of her bra and then took her small breasts in his hands, he knew that he had reached the point of no return. He began to nibble at her neck, while her small, skillful fingers opened the buttons of his shirt and continued from top to bottom. A low moan escaped his lips as she drew a line from his neck down to his belly button with her tongue. _What about condoms?_ The thought flashed through his mind. If they would have sex together now they should at least be prepared. But he was too weak and dizzy by the growing arousal that made it impossible for him to get up again and look for a condom. As she moved deeper with her lips, he knew he was irrecoverably lost. A knock at the door interrupted the magical spell.

"Daniel? Are you in there?"

Abruptly, Sara ended her lovemaking and sat up. "Oh shit!" She groaned and pulled the blanket over her bare breasts.

Daniel's circular flow was anything but stable as he jumped out of bed, grabbed his pants, and then went to the door. "Just a second, Char!" He quickly tucked his pants up and then opened the door.

A blind man could see what he had just done, and Charlotte wasn't blind or stupid. She realized immediately what had happened. "Honestly, Daniel?" She shook her head, bewildered. "This is the conversation you wanted to have with her?"

Still breathing heavily, he ran a trembling hand through his hair. "Wait for me downstairs. I'll be right there." He closed the door in front of her nose and then turned to Sara, who looked at him with wide eyes. "Get dressed!" He ordered. "We have to go back to the party."

Sara nodded and also got out of bed. She hurriedly gathered her things and dressed. "Danny, I'm so sorry..." she began, but he cut off her sentence with a determined hand movement.

"It never should have come so far." He reached for his shirt and buttoned it up with trembling fingers.

"Yes, you're right. As long as you aren't officially divorced, people might talk bad about us."

He frowned irritably, but didn't comment on her remark. How, after what had happened, he should explain to her that he didn't intend to get a divorce. He broke out into a cold sweat thinking about that he almost slept with Sara! What has gotten into him? Softly sighing, he closed his eyes and opened them abruptly as he felt her arms around his neck.

"Next time we'll meet at my place," she whispered in his ear. "We are undisturbed there."

 _There is no next time,_ he wanted to say, but he kept quiet. He was afraid that nothing he would say would really convince her. "I'll bring you home now," he said instead, and dragged her out of his room. He could almost feel her disappointment at the abrupt ending of the evening. But it was the only way to get rid of her. He avoided the curious looks of the guests as he walked with Sara downstairs and made his way through the crowd to the exit. Surely they would be the topic talk of the evening. But he didn't care for the moment. He just wanted to get away from here and bring Sara safely home.

"Thank you for bringing me home!" She said as they stopped outside her house.

As she bent towards him to kiss him one last time, he turned his head quickly so that her lips met only his cheek.

"Call me!" She said before she got out.

He stepped on the gas, after she had left, and headed home. No one of the guests seemed to notice him as he pushed through the crowd of people and ran upstairs to his room. He paid no attention to the state of his bed, but went to the wardrobe, picked up something from it and went to his chair and sat down. Lost in thought, he held the chapbook in his hands, before he opened it and looked at the picture of him and Emily on the first page. He remembered how Emily had given him this collection of poems as a gift for his 24th birthday. At that time, she had told him that he had already felt like home to her, although they hadn't known each other for a long time. A feeling that he had shared with her. He had given her his heart, utterly and forever. And he knew that he still felt the same, even though fate had separated them. He didn't know how long he'd just sat there and stared at the picture as the door opened and Charlotte stepped into the room. He didn't even look up as she bent over him and brushed her finger over the picture.

"You can't forget her, can you?" She asked softly, looking at him.

"No." He shook his head.

"And what about Sara?"

He closed the chapbook and put it aside. "I know how it must have appeared to you," he began hesitantly. "But the thing with Sara was only physical. I don't love her."

"Because you still love Emily?" It was not a question, but rather a statement.

"You throw yourself away on someone just once in your life," he confessed quietly and looked at her. "I thought I could leave the past behind me and start a new life without her. But I can't."

"That means you want her back because you still love her?" Charlotte had trouble not showing her excitement about his statement.

Daniel nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, after what I said about her and what I threatened her with. But I realized that I was happiest when we were together."

"And what if she doesn't love you anymore?" The question was purely hypothetical because Charlotte was pretty sure that Emily's feelings towards Daniel hadn't changed. Especially now that she was again pregnant by him.

He shrugged helplessly. "Then I have to live with it. But I would like at least to get a chance to talk to her, to explain to her why I have reacted like that. I was so angry and full of hatred that I completely ignored an essential fact."

"And what was that?" She cocked her head curiously.

"That I love her," he replied.

Charlotte couldn't help it. She put her arms around him and hugged him close to her. "Oh Daniel, I'm so glad you're saying that," she said, relieved. "I'm sure she loves you too and is willing to give the two of you another chance."

He just wanted to ask her how she knew it so well as she broke away from him and quickly left his room. Thoughtfully, he looked after her before he rose and followed her.


	9. Decision

****Paris, France****

 **One week later**

"I've brought fresh croissants and something to read," Julia shouted in good spirits, after she had opened the door and headed for the living room. Her good mood disappeared, however, when she saw Emily, who was sitting on the sofa with a tortured look, pressing her hands against her stomach. Quickly she put the things she had brought on the table and went to her. "Hey, is everything all right? Shall I call a doctor?" She asked worried.

Emily shook her head. "It's only the usual." She wrinkled her nose as she caught the smell of the freshly baked croissants. "Not again...!" She pressed her hand to her mouth, jumped up and ran over to the bathroom.

She looked sympathetically after her. For almost two weeks, Emily suffered from extreme morning sickness, which caused her to lose weight. Gradually, she was really worried, for there was no end to it, even though Emily's doctor had told her that many women in their first trimester suffered from it. Something that she hadn't experienced that bad during her own pregnancy. She was just about to take the newspaper and put it aside, as the headline caught her eye. Curiously she began to read...

 _ _Love-Comeback with the Ex after separation from wife?__

 _Daniel Grayson, the son of rich industrialist Conrad Grayson, was seen in an intimate embrace with his ex, a former waitress, at a party at the parental mansion, given by his mother, Victoria Grayson, on the occasion of his 28th birthday. The 27-year-old Sara Munello and the one year older Grayson heir had a romantic relationship a few years ago, but it ended tragically when the young man caused a car accident, in a drunk state, where the young woman was seriously injured. But apparently an old flame never dies, as you can see when you look at the pictures, which both show in intimate situations._

Julia, who had read the article with bated breath, quickly turned the page around and stared at the pictures mentioned in the article. On the first picture she could see both dancing together in a close embrace, on the second the woman pushed a piece of cake into his mouth and on the last... Julia exhaled slowly and sighed. Sara Munello had bent forward and he had his hands on her shoulders. It was obvious what would happen next. She flipped back and continued reading...

 _ _Will Daniel Grayson finally find his happiness again, after the separation from his wife Emily, who left him a few weeks ago and took the son of the pair with her? According to the young man's mother, the two separated because of 'irreconcilable differences'. Mrs. Grayson didn't give any further details in her interview. But she made no secret of the fact that she blames her daughter-in-law for the failure of the marriage. It remains to be seen what will become of the couple's 6-month-old son. Especially since the whereabouts of the young mother and wife is unknown.__

"Julia?"

Startled, she flinched. She'd been so engrossed in the article that she hadn't even noticed that Emily had returned.

"What are you reading?" Curiously Emily approached her.

"Nothing!" She wanted to take the newspaper and hide it, but Emily reached for it and took it out of her hand. "Don't read this," Julia warned, but it was too late. She saw Emily's eyes widen in horror and her face turning pale. "I told you not to read it!"

"Sara..." Emily stammered in a toneless voice after reading the article and looking at the pictures. "Why her of all people?"

"That's just a bad gossip paper! You can't believe a word of it. They always make a big hype of nothing. They probably only talked to each other and were standing a littler closer and now they write that they are a couple!"

Emily looked at the pictures again and then shook her head. "I think the pictures are unmistakable," she said faintly. She wanted to be angry with him, that he had found a new love so quickly after their split-up, but she only felt blank despair. She suddenly burst into tears, probably caused again by her stupid hormones.

"Don't cry!" Julia pulled her into her arms and held her tight. "If he really has found another woman after such a short time, he isn't worth your tears," she said. "What a jerk! But when it comes to this all men are the same. You should be glad you're rid of him!"

More and more tears were running down Emily's cheeks, and she felt as if she was losing her energy with every tear. She had hoped to start a new life here in Paris. She had wanted to forget Daniel. But she hadn't expected that it would hurt so much to see him with another woman.

"You just have to forget him," Julia told her. "I know how hard that is, but you have to try."

She had fled from him for fear of a possible divorce and that he would take Julian away from her. But now she suddenly realized what she was even more afraid of losing _him_! She jumped up. "I have to go back!" She said.

"Back? What do you mean?" Julia asked confused.

"I have to go back to the States," Emily said determinedly. "I won't allow Sara to lay her filthy little fingers on my husband!"

"Where is your self-respect?" Julia frowned. "He has offended you, threatened you, cheated on you with another woman, and you will ruefully return to him?" She shook her head. "I thought you were done with him."

Emily knew that Julia was right, but even if her head told her to forget him, her heart said something quite different. And it was not just the thought of Daniel, that suddenly made her euphoric to go home. She missed her friends and her home in the Hamptons as well. "I'm not sure yet what I'll do when I'm back," she began hesitantly. "I just know I have to go back."

Julia took her in her arms wordlessly and squeezed her. "If that's what you really want, then I'll let you go," she said softly. "But you should know that I don't do it gladly because you have grown on me in this short time." She sighed. "I never had a real female friend. And now you're leaving me."

Suddenly, an idea came into Emily's mind. "What if you come with me?" She suggested spontaneously. "It doesn't matter where you live. And if you come with me, then we could live together."

"You want me to go back to the States with you?" Julia asked incredulously.

Emily nodded eagerly. "There is nothing I want more. And admit it, you miss your old home, too."

Julia smiled all of a sudden. "I can't believe I'm saying 'yes' to this, but you really convinced me."

"You're coming with me?" Emily's eyes started to shine.

"Yes." Julia laughed as Emily put her arms around her and squeezed her overwhelmed with joy.

"I'm calling Nolan," Emily said excitedly after releasing Julia. "He should book two more plane tickets for us. When he will fly home next week we just accompany him. Until then, we can make preparations."

Julia nodded. "I will inform my boss at Bellevue," she said. "Where do I live?"

"First at my beach house," Emily explained. "Or perhaps at Nolan's place. Ava, a friend from both of us, had lived with him until she moved together with her boyfriend. Nolan's mansion is huge!" She raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, a mansion." Julia smiled. "Then we don't have to worry about too little living space anymore."

Emily jumped up, her nausea completely forgotten. "I'm calling Nolan and ask him to come by. We can discuss everything better here." She took her cell phone and started dialing his number to tell him about the big changes that were lying ahead.

 ** **On the beach, Montauk****

"Where are you going to take me?" Ava held tightly to Jack's hand and let herself be led by him because she couldn't see with her blindfolded eyes. She guessed that it has to do with Emily, because Jack had talked about his plan, how to convince her to return, the week before. She inhaled the fresh salty breeze. Why Jack had brought her to the beach was a mystery to her. As if he had guessed her thoughts, he suddenly stopped, which also caused her to do the same. "And what now?" She asked curiously.

"Now we have reached our goal," he said mysteriously and removed the blindfold.

Ava squinted for a moment just to open her eyes again, gaping what was in front of her. There was a table with two chairs around, covered with all the delicacies one could imagine, and beside it, on the ground in the soft sand, there were burning candles arranged in the shape of a heart. "Wow!" Ava was so overwhelmed by the sight that she couldn't think of a better comment.

"Before we sit down and start to eat and drink..." Jack began hesitating, "I have a little surprise for you first."

Ava was still too dazed to be able to react. But when he suddenly reached for her hand and fell down on his knees, she felt her heart beating faster in joyful anticipation.

"I don't know how to start..." Jack cleared his throat before starting again. "At this place, exactly 106 days ago, we kissed for the first time," he said solemnly, "but I've been in love with you much longer. We haven't known each other for long, but from the first moment we saw each other, I felt that fate had brought us together. And I know you felt the same way." He cleared his throat again. "Ever since you came in my life, I know that you are the one I'll truly love till the end. The world is more colorful and bright when you are with me. You make me laugh, share my sorrows and thoughts and are always there for me and for others. You're like the sun breaking through the clouds after a rainstorm. I can't imagine my life without you. So I'm asking you here and now... Ava Winters, will you marry me?"

She remembered the moment she first entered the bar and saw him. All the feelings suddenly came back again and made sense all at once. She had felt the same just like him, the magical attraction that had drawn them together. From this moment on she had known she would never love another man again. "Yes," she said softly with tearful eyes. "I wish nothing more than to become your wife!"

"Then we should make it official now," Jack said, smiling. He raised from his knees and then took out a small box that he opened.

Ava held her breath as he slipped the engagement ring with the beautiful blue opal on her finger.

"The stone has the color of your eyes," he said, smiling as he watched her staring at the ring. "I hope you like it."

"I love it!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. "And I love you!" she added as she briefly interrupted the kiss to take a breath.

"Then we can begin with the official part of the evening." He led her to the table and moved the chair so she could sit down.

"May I ask what all that has to do with your plan to convince Emily to return?" Ava inquired curiously, after clinking glasses with champagne.

"Well, her best friend marries. What better reason could it be to return?" He said, shrugging with a smirking.

"You just proposed to me because of Emily?" Ava looked at him bewildered.

"No, of course not." He shook his head. "Though I have to admit that I had actually planned the proposal for another date. I wanted to surprise you on your birthday." He suddenly grinned. "I don't know, though, if I had the patience to wait until August."

Ava laughed at his remark. "Since you already have planned everything so perfectly, have you decided for a wedding date, yet?"

"I'd say as soon as possible. Maybe in three months?" He suggested.

"Sounds good." Ava nodded and took her champagne glass again. "Then we have plenty of time to prepare the wedding." She raised her glass and waited until he had picked up his, too. "To our shared future!" she said, clinking glasses with him and taking a sip before she leaned over the table and sealed their toast with a kiss.


	10. Preparations

**Publishing House of the 'Voulez' Magazine, South Hampton**

Horrified, Daniel stared at the pictures and the newspaper article that Margaux had just placed on the table.

"Can you explain this to me?" She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and looked at him furiously. "What do you think our readers will say about it when they read this? Not only that the article was published in a competition paper, no, they must also learn that you publicly cheated on your wife!"

"This is... completely taken out of context," he stammered miserably. "Sara and I just danced and had a little... fun together."

"Yes, I can see how much 'fun' you had together." Margaux rolled her eyes. "If you want to stray, then you should be a bit more discreet."

"I didn't stray!" With a trembling hand he ran through his hair, pacing back and forth. "You know how it is. The photographers always pick situations you can misconstrue."

"You think that someone could misconstrue the meaning of those pictures?" She tapped her finger on the picture, where they were at the beach. "I think they clearly speak for themselves."

"I turned her down," he said ruefully, knowing that a short time later they almost had had sex.

"You were seen when you came out of your room later," Margaux said dryly. "What did you do there? Playing Parcheesi?"

He felt his cheeks growing warm. "Have you spied on me?"

"Of course not." She shook her head. "But I have my sources, even if I can't be everywhere," she confessed. Hesitantly, she put a hand on his shoulder. "We are not only business partners, we are also friends, Daniel. You can be totally honest with me."

He wondered if he should confide in her about what had happened and decided spontaneously to tell her the truth. "I didn't plan that," he began. "Sara waited in my room as I went upstairs. She seduced me, not the other way round," he emphasized. "I didn't mean to do it. But one thing led to another..." He stopped and took a deep breath. "I don't know what would have happened if Charlotte hadn't knocked at the door."

"Dear Charlotte. Your white knight." Margaux smirked. "What happened then?" She asked.

"Nothing. I took Sara home."

"If you want nothing to do with her, you should make a counter statement. So you can win the readers over to your side by presenting yourself as a victim." She raised her eyebrows. "I can only advise you to go public in order to reestablish your good name. After all, you're just about a month apart from Emily. And even if your mother stated that Emily was to blame for the separation, the readers sympathy will be with her. Women always have better chances, especially when children are involved."

"My mother should make the counter statement. She was the one who invited the press to my party, after all. Without them there would be no compromising pictures or this article!"

"Did she force you to go to bed with your ex?" Margaux asked amused. "Certainly not. You decided this by yourself. And that is why it's your job to go public and rectify the rumor."

"I'll go to Sara and talk to her first," he promised.

Margaux nodded. "Do it soon. The longer this rumor exists, the more persistent it will become." She pointed again at one of the pictures. "What do you think Emily will say when she sees the pictures and reads the article?"

 _Emily!_ Shocked, he realized that he hadn't even thought of that. No matter where she was, there were certainly magazines that reported about the high society and celebrities.

"I get from your expression that you haven't thought about it until now," Margaux said. "Well, if I were in her spot I would probably file for a divorce. Not only had her mother-in-law publicly denounced her, she must also learn that her husband cheated on her."

"Oh God..." he muttered weakly and dropped on a chair. "If I knew where she was, I would fly to her and explain everything. But so far, the private investigator hasn't found her, yet."

"She's hiding well. Apparently, she has really erased you from her memory," she said. "But good for you. Because now you only have to wait for the divorce and then you can start to date other women."

"I don't want to date other women!" he shouted exasperated, jumping up from his chair. "I don't want a divorce either. I want Emily to come back to me!"

Surprised, she looked at him. "So you're not talking about your reputation, but really about your relationship with Emily? You want to reconcile with her?" She asked incredulously.

Daniel nodded. "I've only told my father and Charlotte, and now I'm telling you... I love her too much to let her go. I just realized how much she means to me. I don't know if she'll forgive me, but I have to try."

"I'm really impressed." Margaux nodded approvingly. "I've known you for a while, but it's the first time I've ever seen you really love someone genuinely." She looked at the clock. "It's already late. I have to go. I just want to remind you how important it is that you are doing the counter statement. Especially when you think about a reconciliation with Emily."

When Margaux had left, Daniel took the article from the Daily News and threw it into the trash can. He had to find Emily and tell her that everything was a big misunderstanding. With this thought, he reached for the phone and dialed the number of the private investigator to find out about the latest state of the investigations.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

Charlotte and Ava sat at the swimming-pool in the sun and exchanged news. Both had something that they wanted to tell the other, and accordingly the mood was tense.

"I've invited you here to tell you something important," Charlotte began, then took a deep breath. "Guess what, Nolan called me a couple of hours ago and told me he'll be back in a week."

Ava nodded, smiling. "That's nice. I'm glad to see him again. Surely he has a lot to tell."

"But that's not the important news I wanted to tell you," Charlotte continued excitedly. "Emily will come with him!"

"What?!" For a moment, Ava tried to digest the news before she burst into laughter.

"What's so funny about that?" Charlotte asked confused.

Ava took her purse, which she had placed on the table next to the pool, and took out the box with the engagement ring. "Do you remember that Jack was talking about a plan on how to get Emily back?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, I remember. Why?"

Ava opened the box and took out the ring. "That was his plan." She slipped the ring on her finger and held her hand out to Charlotte to look at.

"Is that an... engagement ring?" Charlotte stammered disbelievingly.

Ava nodded, smiling. "Last night, Jack proposed on the beach," she said. "I had no idea that he is such a romantic person. He prepared a candlelight dinner for us, and when he fell down to his knees before me and asked me to marry him, I said 'yes'."

"Oh Ava..." Charlotte jumped up from the couch and put her arms around her. "Congratulations! When is the wedding?"

"We haven't set a date yet, but Jack thought of October."

"You should get married when the weather is still warm and sunny. How about August?"

"This is quite short dated." Ava pondered briefly. "I'm celebrating my 24th birthday on August 22nd. Maybe we can combine my birthday with the wedding."

Charlotte clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, that would be awesome!"

"I'll ask Jack what he thinks of the idea." She frowned skeptically. "I'm not sure, however, whether we can make all preparations in this short time."

Charlotte counted the weeks. "Until then, it's almost eight weeks," she said then. "We'll make it work."

"Would you be my bridesmaid?" Ava asked smiling.

"I'd love to. And you should ask Emily, too," Charlotte suggested. She dropped back to her couch. "Oh man, I can't believe it." She sighed. "There are so many grand events in the next few weeks to look forward to; Emily will return, you and Jack get married, and then I will become an aunt again."  
"An event the father to be is still not aware of," Ava said, raising her eyebrows. "It's time he learns the truth."

"Until your wedding, I'm sure he knows." Charlotte nodded. "Oh, I remember, Emily asked Nolan to get some new furniture for the beach house. He passed it on to me. Everything should be ready when they arrive next weekend. Would you help me to pick out some piece of furniture?"

"With pleasure." Ava nodded excitedly. "Then maybe we should start looking for furniture online. The sooner we can decide for something, the faster it can be delivered and assembled."

"Agreed." Charlotte rose from her deck chair and reached for her towel. "Let's go and get dressed," she suggested.

Ava also got up, and together they went upstairs to Charlotte's room.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 **A few days later**

At first Victoria didn't know what had disturbed her sleep, but when she heard voices and sounds coming from the beach house, she quickly jumped out of bed, put her negligee on and went to her balcony. Disbelieving, she stared down from her turret, not immediately understanding what was going on. A furniture van had parked right in front of the entrance, and some men carried various pieces of furniture into the beach house. Probably the whole house had already awakened from the noise, she thought annoyed, and went back to her room to dress quickly. Her first path led her straight to Daniel's room, the beach house owner, who was supposed to know what the whole thing meant. But when she knocked at his door and he opened, he was at a loss, too.

"What kind of furniture?" He asked, suppressing a yawn.

"I'm just asking you," she said impatiently. "Did you order the furniture?"

"No." He wiped his eyes. "I haven't decided yet what to do with the beach house."

"Well, someone already did." She rolled her eyes.

"Ask Charlotte." He was about to close the door again to return to his bed when Victoria put a foot in the door crack. "Wait! It's your house and your responsibility. I want to know what's going on there. You come with me!"

"Fine. Just let me dress first." Irritated groaning, he went back to his room, quickly dressed, and then went with his mother to Charlotte's room.

"The furniture is already there?" She said, surprised, as the two had informed her. "That was fast."

"You know something about it?" Daniel looked at her, frowning.

Charlotte nodded. "I ordered them." She cleared her throat. "Actually, it should be a surprise, but since you already know..." She took a deep breath. "Emily is coming back," she said quickly.

Daniel felt his heart beating faster with the mention of her name, and his mouth became dry. All the time he had wondered what he would do if he saw her again. But now he was also afraid that she would turn him down. "Emily's coming back?" He repeated hoarsely.

Charlotte nodded. "That's a surprise, isn't it?" She grinned. "I could hardly believe it, but it's true. That's why I ordered the furniture that she can move into the beach house again when she's back."

"When... will she arrive?" He could feel the lump in his throat getting bigger and bigger. He still couldn't believe that he would see her again, and Julian, his little son.

"On the weekend."

"Then you tell your father that he can whistle back his private investigator," Victoria said dryly. She looked at Charlotte. "Did she say why she wants to come back?"

"She misses her friends and life here," Charlotte said.

"That's all?" Victoria frowned.

"Isn't that enough?" Charlotte looked at her mother reproachfully. "I know you don't like her, but please try to be nice to her and don't chase her away this time!" she begged.

"You read the letter. Can you blame me if I don't want her to drag the Grayson name through the dirt?" Victoria exclaimed indignantly. "She wanted to destroy our family, Charlotte! She lied and betrayed us. Not to mention that she pretended to be someone who she wasn't." She laughed sarcastically. "If she hadn't been shot, she would have gone through with her plan. She would have faked her death and had set me up for murder. I would have gone to jail. So excuse me if I'm not looking forward to her return!"

"She's been a different person ever since," Charlotte said to Emily's defense. "She's no longer looking for revenge. As she wrote in her letter, she wants to be a part of this family and live in peace with everyone."

"Until she reverts back to her old ways." Victoria sighed stagy. "Once a liar, always a liar." She looked at her son. "How do you feel about this, Daniel?"

Deep in his heart, he had to admit that he had the same feelings towards Emily when he had learned about her deceit. The words in her goodbye-letter had made him aware what she was capable of. He had been shocked by her cold-bloodedness. She had been willing to sacrifice people for her revenge. Even so, he believed her feelings towards him had been real. At least after her amnesia. He even had felt the change in her. Emily had indeed become a new person. And that's why she deserved a second chance.

"Daniel?" Victoria impatiently tapped her foot as she waited for a reply from him.

"Emily remains a Grayson!" he said in a firm voice. "I'm going to fight for my marriage and not like you, Mom, give up on it when it gets difficult."

"If you're referring to my relationship with David Clarke, I can only tell you that your father wasn't an innocent either. He already cheated on me with other women. And if it wasn't a woman, it was his work. He has never been interested in his family," she scoffed. "He was married to his work." She raised the eyebrows. "Who tells you that Emily wants you back? So far, I always hear that she wants to come back because she misses her friends. And besides, what about Sara?"

He jerked his head up. "I knew you were behind all that. But your plan to set me up with Sara again failed, Mom! I'm not interested in her."

"Suit yourself. It's your decision, Daniel. However, I must tell you, don't come to me and cry me a river when things with Emily don't go as planned! You don't have my support anymore."

"I do better without your 'support' and interference," he retorted.

"Hey, the two of you!" Charlotte interrupted. "Can you stop quarreling? Fact is, Emily is coming back. Just wait and see what the future will bring."

Daniel nodded. "You're right. We should just wait."

"How glad I am that I won't be here when she arrives." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Your father has asked me to accompany him to a charity event in Chicago. I really wanted to cancel on him, but now that I hear what the option is, I'll gladly fly with him." She turned to go. "And now excuse me. I'm going back to my room."

When Victoria had left, Daniel looked at Charlotte thoughtfully. "Because she's going to come back anyway, can you tell me where she was?"

Charlotte pondered over his question for a moment, then nodded. "Paris," she told him. When she saw his eyes widen in wonder, she went back to her room, smiling, and shut the door in his face.


	11. Crash

**Nolan's Mansion, Hamptons**

 **Five days later**

"I really appreciate that I can live here," Julia said to Nolan. It was only a few hours ago that she arrived in the States, but instead of being tired, she felt energetic. "And I can't thank Emily enough for what she did for me, too. I hope she and her husband will find their way back to each other. She hasn't talked about anything else for days."

"I think the feeling is mutual. At my last meeting with him he had only talked about her. Just wait and see what Victoria will think about that reunion." He rolled his eyes. "The two of them loathed each other from the start," he explained, when he saw Julia's questioning look. "And that goes beyond the classical mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dispute."

"I'd really like to meet them, the Graysons I mean," Julia said, smiling. "Emily told so much about them that I'm really curious now."

"All in good time," Nolan slowed her gently. "First, I'll introduce you to Ava and Jack. These are good friends of Emily and me. And, of course, Charlotte, the youngest Grayson's daughter and Emily's half-sister."

"It's all so confusing." Julia frowned.

"As I said, all in good time." Nolan smiled. "And as long as we haven't found a house for you, you can stay here with me."

"Yeah, sure." Julia laughed. "As if I thought Emily would buy me a house."

"Do you think she was kidding when she suggested to buy you a house?"

Julia sighed softly. "I know she's wealthy, but I'd rather go to work and earn the money for the house myself. And to begin with it would be enough to have a modest apartment where I can live with Jill."

"You are living in the Hamptons now," Nolan said. "The domicile of the rich and famous. There are no 'modest apartments'." He grinned. "But I can understand that you want to earn everything yourself." He scratched his head. "What kind of work did you think of?"

"Well, I'd like to work as a chambermaid again."

"There are quite a few hotels here," Nolan confirmed. "I can put out my feelers and pull a few strings if you like."

"Thank you!" Julia hugged him spontaneously.

Nolan freed himself from her and smiled sheepishly. "You're a friend of Emily and therefore my friend, too. And friends help each other." He paused for a moment as his cell phone rang. "Just a moment," he said to Julia, answering the phone. Then he listened intently to what the caller told him.

"Did something happen?" Julia asked worried as she noticed Nolan's shocked expression. Instead of giving her an answer, he reached for the remote control and switched the TV on.

 _"... the company jet, with the Grayson couple on board, was on the way to Chicago, where Conrad Grayson and his wife wanted to participate in a charity ball. But shortly behind Cleveland the jet disappeared from the radar. It's assumed that a turbulence was responsible that the jet couldn't keep its route and then probably plunged into the Lake Erie during a correction maneuver. The search has already begun. However, there is still no trace of the missing jet or the passengers..."_

Nolan turned off the TV and looked at Julia. "That was Jack," he said in a low voice. "He just wanted to tell me what we just witnessed."

"These are Emily's in-laws," Julia muttered.

Nolan nodded. "And it looks like you won't meet them anymore."

 **Beach House, Hamptons**

Even before she had opened the door, she knew it was him who was standing in front of it. Her heart was pounding like mad in joyful anticipation, but she was also afraid. "Daniel..." she stammered, when they met the first time after six weeks of separation.

He couldn't help it, he just had to touch her, feel her. "Em... I missed you so much..." he confessed in a hoarse voice, before he took a step towards her and pulled her tightly to his chest. For a moment, their eyes locked, until he lowered his lips to hers and gently kissed her.

Even before her brain could step in, her heart had already taken the command. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with such passion that she could feel him trembling. Her body responded to each of his touches and kisses, and she came to the point where that wasn't enough. She quickly pulled him into the house without letting go of him and slammed the door shut. "I want you... now..." she said with a heavy breathing.

As he scooped her up and took the stairs to the bedroom, an alarm bell rang inside her, reminding her that perhaps now was the right moment to tell him about the baby, but she dismissed the thought immediately. She would tell him later. She didn't want to destroy the mood between them with this confession. For a moment, she wanted to forget everything around her and give herself completely to the feeling of passion. She had to wait for it a long time. And he felt just the same as she could easily recognize by his quickened breathing and moans of pleasure.

Impatiently, they wrenched their clothes off each other until they were completely naked. The way he looked at her sparked a feeling of panic. Was it possible that he had noticed that she was pregnant? She hadn't gained much weight, and yet her breasts were fuller and her waist thicker. She thought about to cross her arms in front of her chest, but that would have been even more suspicious. She was relieved when he finally approached her without a word and began to kiss and touch her. She finally turned her mind off as he lifted her up again and carried her to the bed, where they made passionate love.

It was a while later, when they were lying next to each other, exhausted and happy, that Emily remembered what she wanted to tell him. When he put his hand on her belly, she quickly placed her hand over his and held to it firmly. "Daniel..." she started, then cleared her throat to give her voice more strength. "I... I have to tell you something..."

"That you regret that we just slept together?" He cut in and looked at her.

She gazed at him in surprise. "No, why do you think that?"

"I don't know." He lowered his head that he could reach her neck. "Does that mean you don't regret it?" He asked softly and kissed her again.

"No." She felt that she was about to lose her mind again. As he took his hand from her belly and then moved further down she pushed his hand away. "Please, it's important!"

"Okay." He sat up and looked at her questioningly. "What's so important that it can't wait?"

She had practiced it several times in front of the mirror, and even during her flight from Paris back to New York. She had thought she was well prepared. But to look straight into his eyes was something completely different. Panic overcame her and caused a feeling of nausea. She suddenly had doubts if he would be happy to become a father again. And if he learned about it, how would he respond to the fact that she was already in her 12th week of pregnancy? But she couldn't wait any longer. She had to tell him now. She gathered all her courage. "Daniel, I'm..." But she was interrupted when she heard someone knocking at the front door.

"Do you expect visitors?" He looked at her questioningly.

She shook her head and jumped out of bed. "I'll check who it is. Stay here." She quickly slipped into her shirt and jeans and ran downstairs. It was her sister, who stood in front of the door, tears running down her cheeks. "What happened?" Emily asked concerned.

"The... company jet..." Charlotte sobbed. "... crashed... Mom and Dad are..."

Before Charlotte could say the last word, Emily pulled her into her arms and held her tightly. From the corner of her eye she saw Daniel coming down the stairs. His face was ashen.

"They just brought it in the news," he said with a faltering voice, while he tried to fought back tears. "The Grayson Global company jet crashed in the sea. There were no survivors."

 **Beach House, Hamptons**

 **The next day**

Even after 24 hours and intense search for the company jet and the Grayson couple, there were still no positive news. Daniel and Charlotte had flown to Cleveland because the search had been started from there. She would have liked to come along, would have liked to give them moral support, but she had to take care of Julian. She couldn't go on another flight with him, especially since he hadn't been able yet to deal with the time change from France to the USA. He had been crying all night, and she hadn't been able to soothe him. Completely exhausted by the lack of sleep and the events the day before, she lay down on the new sofa, pulled the blanket up and closed her eyes. But her nap was interrupted as someone was knocking at the door. Groaning, she rose and went to see who it was. Despite the fatigue, a smile flickered across her face, and she quickly opened the door.

"Ava!" She exclaimed, embracing her friend. "It's so good to see you again!"

Ava replied the hug and then stepped back to watch Emily with concern. "I hope I don't come at an inconvenient moment?" She asked cautiously. "Jack told me about your in-laws and I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

"No, you don't come at an inconvenient time. Come in and sit down!"

Ava looked around and then nodded pleased. "I haven't seen the new furniture yet, because Charlotte arranged everything. But it's really nice." She sat down on the sofa with Emily and reached for her hand. "How are you?" She asked worried.

Emily's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she noticed Ava's ring. "Is this an engagement ring?" she asked wondering.

Ava nodded. "Charlotte asked the same. Yes, it's an engagement ring. Jack proposed to me a few day ago, and I said 'yes', of course." She looked at the sparkling opal. "I can't tell you how happy I am, Emily! I wanted to call you right away, but Charlotte said I should wait to tell you in person."

"I'm so happy for the two of you." Emily squeezed her hands. "And you made a good catch with Jack." She winked at her. "He will be a good husband to you."

"Do you mean, unlike Daniel?"

She couldn't believe it was only yesterday that they slept together. And what would it mean for their future? Were they together now? Could they really ignore what had happened before and live together as a couple again? Ava's remark had raised a whole flood of questions.

"Emily?"

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted. "Daniel..." she repeated slowly, then lowered her head. "I don't know how to explain this to you, because I still can't grasp it myself," she began hesitantly, looking at her hands, "but when I came home yesterday, he stood in front of the door shortly afterwards." She paused, prompting Ava to interrupt her.

"Did you talk to him? Did you tell him about the baby?" She asked curiously.

Emily raised her head and looked at her. "No," she admitted embarrassed. "We didn't talk much." She cleared her throat. "We had sex."

"Wow!" Was all that came to Ava's mind. "This is another way to intercommunicate." She grinned all of a sudden. "And was it good?"

Emily felt her cheeks growing hot. Normally, she was not prudish, but what happened the day before with Daniel had been more than just a sexual union. The word 'sex' didn't describe it anywhere near. "It was awesome," she replied simply.

"And are you together now?"

"I don't know." Emily creased her face. "We were in the middle of something when Charlotte bolted in with the news that the company jet had crashed. Daniel and her flew to Cleveland right away. The jet had come down in this area, and they had started the search from there, too." She noticed how Ava was looking at her belly and quickly placed a hand on it. "You still can't see much, can you?"

Ava shook her head. "How far along are you?"

"13 weeks in two days. I'm no longer feeling sick in the morning, and I can eat quite normal again. I think I will gain weight soon."

"And you haven't told Daniel yet?" Ava frowned.

"I was just ready to tell him when Charlotte knocked at the door." Emily sighed softly. "And now it's not the right time. He's worried sick for his parents, I can't tell him that I'm pregnant. He's already unable to cope with the whole situation." She shook her head. "That must wait."

"Do you think they're really dead?" Ava asked, biting her lower lip. "I really feel sorry for Daniel and Charlotte." She looked at Emily with a serious face. "Can I be of any help?"

An idea rushed into her mind. "Would you look after Julian for a few days? You are familiar with everything. And I know he's in good hands with you and Jack."

Ava nodded, smiling. "I have to ask Jack first, but I'm sure he won't mind. Carl has been in a full-day-care-center for several weeks. So I have time to care of Julian only."

"Thanks for your help!" Emily hugged and squeezed her. "I'll go upstairs and pack up a few things for him. He's sleeping right now, but when he wakes up, you can give him his bottle. I'll write down everything you need to know." She was about to go up the stairs when Ava approached her again.

"What are you up to?" She asked curiously.

"I'm going to Cleveland," Emily replied. "I want to be with Daniel and Charlotte and help them. We're family. We've got to stick together in this situation." She cast a look back to Ava before she ran upstairs to pack her things.


	12. Nightmare

**Cleveland Police Department, Cleveland, Ohio**

Abuzz with tension and anxiety, Daniel paced back and forth while waiting for further news of the fate of the jet and his parents at the police headquarters. Shortly before, another search party arrived, which had searched a large area on land and also in the sea. Until now, they knew neither where the plane had crashed, nor whether there were survivors. The uncertainty strained his nerves, and he longed for clarity. But when the chief of police stepped into the room with a serious expression and shook his head, he knew that the search had been without success.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grayson, but as soon as it gets dark, we have to stop the search for the time being. The search party will continue tomorrow morning." He put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "You should go to your hotel and try to sleep. As soon as there is news, we will inform you immediately."

Daniel looked at the chief officer stonily. "Do you believe that there is still hope?" He asked reluctantly.

"Do you want to hear my honest opinion?"

"Otherwise I wouldn't have asked." He nodded. "Please, be straight we me."

The policeman scratched his head. "Well, it all depends on where they came down and how. If the jet had fallen into the water, there is hardly any hope. The collision alone would be enough to let the jet burst. If they could land on land, there is a good chance of survival. But it also depends on how the emergency landing took place and in what kind of surroundings. According to our information, only the pilot and your parents were on board."

Daniel nodded. "He has been in our service for many years. He's an adept pilot."

"We have to investigate in all directions..." The officer cleared his throat. "Did your parents have enemies?" He got right to the point.

"What do you mean?" Daniel looked at him confused.

"Well, as I said, we have to take everything into consideration. And when you say the pilot was experienced, it can also be that someone tampered with the jet."

Daniel's eyes widened in horror as he realized what the policeman was referring to. "You think someone had deliberately sabotaged the jet?"

"Yes, something like that. Is that possible?"

"I don't know." He ran through his hair with a helpless gesture. "My parents are wealthy, successful and in the limelight. Of course, there are people who are jealous and hate them. But I can't remember anyone who hated them so much that they would kill them."

"Your father was kidnapped a few months ago," the chief officer said thoughtfully. "Could there be a connection?"

 _David Clarke, Emily's father,_ flashed through his mind. But he didn't say it. He finally had made peace with Emily, he didn't want to lose her again by reporting her father to the police. But the doubt was planted in his head. Did David Clarke really have anything to do with the crash of the jet?

"Mr. Grayson?"

Daniel's head jerked up. "What did you say?"

"I asked if it could be possible that there was a connection between the kidnapping of your father and the crash of the company jet?"

"No," he said hastily, avoiding the officer's piercing gaze.

"You seem to be really sure." He frowned. "Well, as I said, we must investigate in all directions. Since the kidnapping of your father hasn't been so long ago, there is a strong suspicion, especially since the police in New York had closed the case and the kidnapper is still on the loose."

Had David Clarke really been capable of killing his parents? The longer he thought about it, the more convinced he was of his guilt. But why his mother, whom he had supposedly loved? _But he hated your father,_ he recalled . "Can I go now?" He couldn't stay any longer and let himself interrogate.

The officer nodded. "We'll get back to you as soon as we have new information."

Daniel almost fled from the office and went into the waiting area where Charlotte was already waiting for him.

She jumped up as he approached her. "Is there any news?" She asked anxiously, wrapping her arms around her body.

Daniel shook his head. He could hardly bear to see her so miserable. And what he had to tell her now made matters worse. "The police suspect that David Clarke had tampered with the jet that led up to the crash", he informed her.

"Oh my God!" All color disappeared from her cheeks. "Do you think that, too?"

He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. But I would trust him to do it." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "But when I admit that, they will be hunting for him, and I can't turn Emily's father in to the police. Not after we finally found each other again."

"You forget he's my father, too," Charlotte said in a low voice.

"Your begetter," Daniel corrected. "That he procreated you doesn't make him a father." He gently took her arm. "Come, let's go to the hotel. They'll stop the search till tomorrow morning."

"I still can't believe Mom and Dad are dead. It seems to me like a bad nightmare from which I will shortly awake."

He put his arm around her shoulders. "Unfortunately, it's not a nightmare but reality," he said softly, pressing her close to his chest when she suddenly burst into tears. "I'm always there for you," he promised in a low voice. "No matter what happens."

It was already dark when they left the police headquarters and went to their rental car to go to their hotel, when they saw a dark shape approaching them slowly. Charlotte recognized her first. "Emily?!" She burst out aghast. "What are you doing here?"

 **Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Cleveland**

"You're really crazy that you flew to us," Charlotte said, shaking her head. They all sat together in Daniel's hotel suite and filled Emily in about the news of the day.

"I wanted to be with you. And when Ava offered to take care of Julian, I booked a flight straight away." She cast Daniel an uneasy glance, who was staring at the wall, blank-faced. "I hope you approve that I'm here?" She asked cautiously.

Charlotte leaned forward and reached for her hands. "I'm glad you're here," she said with a serious face, and looked to her brother, from whom she also expected a response. "We're just still under shock," she continued. "And so far, there is still no trace of the jet or our parents. At the moment they are taking a break, because it's too dark. But they want to continue with the search tomorrow." She rose. "Maybe we should try to sleep a little. What do you think, Daniel?" She looked at him questioningly.

All the time, he had been pondering how to come up with the subject of David Clarke. Now the time had come when everyone was waiting for an answer from him. "How well do you know your father?" He asked in the middle of the silence.

"Daniel, don't!" Charlotte warned him, who saw Emily turning pale, but he ignored her objection.

"David Clarke," he refined. "How well do you know him?" He turned the question to Emily.

"I... I don't know what you mean exactly," she paused, casting a helpless glance at Charlotte.

"The Cleveland police believe Dad's kidnapper might have something to do with the jet crash," she told her sister. "An airplane doesn't disappear from the radar for no reason and simply crashes all of a sudden. That's why they suspect that someone tampered with the jet."

"And they believe it was my father?" Emily asked incredulously.

"Dad's kidnapper," Daniel corrected, "but yes, he had at least a motive and also the means. But there is no evidence. The police suspect it only because my father recently had been kidnapped. And we all know that it was David Clarke."

Emily stared at him, bewildered. "You think he wanted to kill your parents?"

"Maybe not my mother. That was a bonus," he said sarcastically. "But the company jet is mainly used by my father or by..." He paused as he saw Emily turning pale again.

"...or by you," she finished the sentence and closed her eyes because suddenly her head was spinning.

"Emily?"

She noticed Charlotte rushing to her side and putting her arm around her. "Are you all right?"

The thought that her father was responsible for the death of her in-laws was just too much. And even harder was the thought that it could have struck Daniel, who used the jet just as often as his father did. "Excuse me!" She jumped up quickly and ran over to the adjoining bathroom.

"Why did you have to start with that topic?" Charlotte looked at her brother reproachfully. She worried about Emily and the baby whose existence her brother apparently still knew nothing about.

He groaned with frustration. "I'm sorry. If I had known how much this news would upset her, I wouldn't have mentioned it."

"You should have known how she would react." She rose and went over to the bathroom and knocked at the closed door. "Emily? Is everything okay? Do you need help?"

She sat on the floor next to the sink, her arms wrapped around her body, while silent tears were running down her cheeks. She refused to believe that her father had been responsible for the crash. She remembered her last conversation with him, just before he'd taken her to the dugout in the forest...

 _"What would have been your next step? Would you have him killed or tortured?"_

 _"You might not believe me, but I didn't want to do anything like that. Although I would have threatened him to kill his family, what I never would have done. But I think that this threat alone would have brought him to reason. I would have given him a new identity, and he could have started a new life somewhere else. Conrad Grayson would have been dead for his family and the public eye, kidnapped and murdered."_

 _"You wanted him to go through the same?"_

„ _Exactly! Only that I would have stood on the other side, I would have had the fame, the wealth, Grayson Global, Victoria..."_

And she had believed and trusted him. Otherwise she never would have let him go. But what if he had lied to her? She had balked his plan. Had he returned to reach his goal, to get Conrad Grayson out of the way once and for all? Then it was her fault that her in-laws were dead now. She rose and pushed back the latch. "I'm going to my room now," she said in a weak voice. "I'm tired." She saw Charlotte's worried look and forced herself to smile. "Everything is okay. As I said, I'm just tired. The flight was exhausting." As she left the suite without looking back, she heard Daniel call her name. But she ignored him. She just wanted to leave. The events of the past few hours had drained her. She still felt slightly dizzy as she went to her own suite, opened the door, and then quickly closed it behind her so that no one could follow.

That night she had a restless sleep, was tossing and turning and tormented by horrible nightmares. When she woke up after a few hours of sleep, she was drenched in sweat, and her heart was thumping like mad. A glance at the alarm clock informed her that it was only 4 o'clock in the morning. Too early to get up. She was about to fall asleep again, when she noticed something wet between her legs. She quickly switched on the bedside light and then stared frozen in terror at the blood stain on her sheet. _The baby!_ she thought anxiously. She was about to lose her baby! Seized with panic, she forced herself to breathe calmly. She had to keep a clear head now. Quickly she slipped out of bed, reached for her clothes and went to the bathroom. There she took some absorbent cotton and put it in her panties to absorb the blood. When she had arrived at the hotel, she had seen taxis standing in front of the entrance. So she just had to go down, pick a taxi and ask the driver to take her to the hospital. But before that, she had to inform Charlotte so that she wouldn't worry. On the table there was a note pad and a pen, and Emily tore off a sheet and wrote a short note:

 _'Charlotte, I went to the hospital. Had a bleeding. Emily'_

She pushed the folded note with the message beneath Charlotte's door and went to the elevator. She had no time to lose. While she was riding down, she noticed tears on her cheeks. I _haven't even told Daniel about my pregnancy,_ she thought desperately. How would he react if he learned she had a miscarriage? Fortunately there was a taxi waiting right in front of the hotel entrance. "To the closest hospital," she said in a tearful voice after she had opened the car door and sat down on the passenger seat. She saw how the taxi driver cast her a worried look, but then he stepped on the gas pedal and drove off.


	13. Complications

****Fairview Hospital, Cleveland****

The hospital, fortunately, was not very far from the hotel, and Emily was relieved when the driver stopped right in front of the entrance. She paid him quickly, then went out. Her path led her directly to the reception desk after she had passed the main entrance.

"My name is Emily Grayson. I'm currently a guest at the Cleveland Hotel," she said, placing her maternity log on the counter. "I'm 12 weeks pregnant and have a bleeding."

The lady at the reception desk nodded. "Please wait here. I'll let someone come up from gynecology."

Emily was amazed at how quickly someone came and brought her with a wheelchair up to the ob-gyn unit. She was taken to a treatment room immediately, where she was physically examined and an ultrasound scan was made. Inwardly churning, she waited for the examination result.

"It's not unusual for hemorrhages to occur in the early pregnancy," the doctor explained. "Of course we have to take every kind of bleeding seriously and try to find out what the trigger was for it, but I can assure you that your baby is doing well."

"Really?" Tears of relief and gratefulness appeared in Emily's eyes. "I didn't miscarry?"

The doctor smiled. "No, you are still pregnant. Do you want to hear the baby's heartbeat?"

Emily nodded, and while the doctor was controlling the heartbeat, she lay there with her eyes closed, listening to the steady pounding.

"Although I can't see any signs of a miscarriage at the moment, I want you to stay with us for 48 hours," the doctor said. "We'll examine you again in a few hours." She looked at Emily with a serious face. "Have you had stress lately?"

Emily remembered the last days and hours and could only nod. But she didn't want to go into detail before the doctor. She would have to deal with it herself.

"This can be a trigger, of course," the doctor said thoughtfully. "Just like a fast sequenced pregnancy." She touched the scar the c-section had caused. "The scar is not very old," she mused. "How old is your child?"

"My son is six months old," Emily said, then cleared her throat. "This pregnancy wasn't planned," she confessed, feeling heat rising into her cheeks. "It was an... accident."

The doctor smiled. "You need not justify yourself. Some parents even want the children to be close to each other by age because they believe they have more in common. However, I always advise the couples to wait a year before planning a next pregnancy. Especially after a c-section the body needs time to heal again."

"Yes, my doctor in Paris told me. She also informed me about the fact that this can lead into a premature delivery. My little son was a preemie."

"You lived in Paris?" The doctor asked surprised.

Emily nodded. "I only returned yesterday."

"And what do you do here in Cleveland, if I may ask?"

Emily wondered if she should tell the doctor the reason. "My parents-in-law's jet probably crashed in that area," she began hesitantly.

The doctor took the patient file and read the patient's name, frowning. "Grayson," she muttered, then raised her head to look at Emily. "You are the daughter-in-law of the rich industrialist couple Grayson," she said. "I heard in the news that their plane had crashed somewhere here."

Emily nodded. "That is why I flew to Cleveland. My husband and sister-in-law are also here."

The doctor wiped the ultrasound gel from Emily's stomach. "For the next days, you are under a flying ban." She looked at Emily with a serious face. "Your body wants to tell you with the bleeding that you had already too much stress. A stay at high altitude, can lead to more serious complications."

Emily looked at the doctor in horror as she realized what that meant. "But I must fly back home!" She said urgently. "My little son needs me."

"We're just waiting for the next 48 hours, and then we'll see," the doctor said reassuringly. "What you need above all else is rest. We'll also give you an injection that will stop the bleeding." She helped Emily to sit up. "Would you like to call someone?"

She nodded silently. _I have to inform Charlotte,_ she thought. And then Daniel would inevitably find out why she was in the hospital. She wanted to get up when the doctor gently held her back.

"Did I forget to mention that you are on bed rest for the next 48 hours?" She looked at Emily sympathetically. "I'll get you a phone now so that you can call someone."

When the doctor had left, Emily dropped back to the examination table and placed her hands on her stomach. She would do nothing that could harm the baby, she swore. Even if it meant staying a few days at the hospital. But she must inform Ava and Jack that they had to take care of Julian for a few more days. When the doctor finally returned with the phone and set it down beside the table, they were the first Emily called.

 ** **Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Cleveland****

Horrified, Charlotte stared at the note she had just picked up from the floor. She knew only too well what bleeding while pregnant meant. She had experienced it on her own when she had lost her baby a few years ago. Her stomach convulsed painfully. That can't be true! After what she'd been through, Emily couldn't lose her baby! And why hadn't she waken her up? Why had she gone to the hospital all alone? She shouldn't have to go through it alone, as she herself had done! She looked at the clock. It was quite early in the morning. Daniel was probably still sleeping. She was certain that Emily didn't want him to know about the pregnancy, but she could no longer be mum about it. If she had really lost the baby, he should know. Besides, he should have learned about the pregnancy much earlier. He was the father after all. She didn't want to imagine how he would react to the news when she told him about it. She left her suite and walked over to Daniel's, who was right next to hers. She knocked and waited until the door finally opened.

"Charlotte?" He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "Is something wrong?"

She recognized by his appearance that he had just come out of bed. He was bare-chested, wore only a pair of jeans and was barefoot. "Get your clothes on," she said as calmly as possible.

"Why the rush? Did the police call? Did they find Mom and Dad?" He exclaimed worriedly.

"No." Charlotte held the note with Emily's message. She was undecided whether she should show it to him. But perhaps it was better to prepare him gently if this was even possible in that situation. "It's not about Mom or Dad," she said hesitantly. "It's about Emily..." She saw him raising his eyebrows, confused.

"What about her?"

Charlotte felt her mouth getting dry. How should she start? Should she tell him that Emily was pregnant or should she just inform him that she lost the baby? She pointed inside. "Can we sit down for a moment?"

Irritated, he frowned, then let her enter and offered her a seat. "Okay, we're sitting. What do you want to tell me about Emily?"

The note in Charlotte's hand was already crumpled, but she continued to fold it nervously between her fingers. "I don't know how to start..." she began. "Emily wrote me a message and left it under the door..." When he wanted to grab the note to read it, she quickly pulled it away. "No!" She said and cleared her throat. "Let me tell you what she wrote."

"Gosh, Charlotte! Don't keep me in suspense!" He said annoyed. "Did she leave again? Is that it?"

She shook her head. "No, she didn't leave, she... is at the hospital," she confessed to him. She saw him leaping up. "Wait, Daniel! Sit down again," she said urgently. "I'm not done yet."

But instead of sitting down, he went a step farther towards her and snatched the note so quickly out of her hand that she couldn't do anything against it. Then she waited anxiously for his reaction.

"Bleeding?" He repeated what he had just read and looked at Charlotte puzzled.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Everything was too late now. She had to tell him the truth. "Emily is pregnant!" She burst out, and continued quickly when she saw his disbelieving expression. "She wanted to tell you, but since you were separated, she didn't know how." She gesticulated helplessly with her arms. "Don't blame her. It's not her fault, that..." She did not come any further when he interrupted her.

"Is it my baby?"

"Of course it's yours!" Charlotte looked at him indignantly. "How can you even ask that? Emily was always faithful to you!"

He reached for his shirt and slipped it on. "Where is this hospital? Come on, Charlotte! I'm sure you know." He put on his socks and shoes, too, and then reached for the car key.

She shook her head. "I really don't know it. But she must have driven by taxi because she didn't take the rental car. You had the key with you all the time. We could ask down at the cabstand. They log everything. Or we go downstairs to the reception desk asking for hospitals..." She hadn't quite finished the sentence when he was out of the door. "Daniel, wait for me!" She caught him at the elevator. "You're not in the state to steer a car. Let me drive."

In the elevator, on the way down to the hotel lobby, she looked at him with concern, but his expression was blank. _A pure defensive mechanism_ , she thought. She knew him well enough to see how shocked he was by the news, even though he didn't show any emotions. She gently touched his arm. "I'm so sorry, Daniel," she said sincerely. "But maybe it wasn't too late. If she went to the hospital early enough, maybe they could manage to save the baby." She knew she was only trying to reassure him and herself, not really believing what she said. Too much reminded this situation of her own miscarriage.

"How long does she know that she's pregnant?"

"She did the test shortly after she arrived in Paris," Charlotte told him. "The memory of what you did with the beach house and what you had threatened her with was still too fresh. She couldn't tell you about it. She was afraid you'd take that baby away from her, too, after you threatened to take Julian."

"So it's my fault that she didn't trust me enough to tell me about the pregnancy."

She looked at him frowning. The sentence was worded that it was neither a question nor a statement. "It's nobody's fault." She took the car key from him as they left the elevator. "Let me drive," she said again. "But first we inquire which hospitals are in the city and call them. She must be in one of them." She went with him to the reception desk and asked about the hospitals before she began to call each of them to find out whether they had admitted a woman named Emily Grayson. A few minutes later she knew about Emily's whereabouts. "She's at the Fairview Hospital," she informed him, heading towards the exit. "This is only about 15 minutes from here by car." She looked around to see if Daniel followed her and then went to the parking lot where they had parked the rental car and unlocked it. She waited until he had sat down on the passenger seat and then drove off.


	14. Retrospection

**Fairview Hospital, Cleveland**

Although she had been jumpy and nervous the hours before and hadn't thought about sleeping at all, exhaustion and fatigue caught up with her and she fell asleep. When she woke up again, the sun shone through the window, and she realized that she was no longer alone in her room. "Daniel..." she whispered, only audible for her ears. He sat in an armchair next to the bed, or better, lay rather in it, his eyes closed and breathing evenly. Obviously he had fallen asleep, while he had been waiting for her to wake up, which was probably hours ago. When he was here, he apparently knew about everything, it crossed her mind. Charlotte had probably told him about the note. But she couldn't be angry with her sister. She obviously had assumed that she had suffered a miscarriage, which she had thought herself as well. And after Charlotte had already experienced such a sad fate, it was only understandable that she wanted to share the sorrows and worries with someone. But as much as she was happy that he was by her side now, she was also afraid of his reaction. The last days and hours had taken a toll on him, she could see as she looked more closely at him. Under his closed eyes, she could clearly see dark circles, and he was unshaven and uncombed. Rather untypical for him, because when he was in the public he was always styled and proper dressed. But the last hours had turned his whole life upside down. No wonder he didn't have the sense of pretentious appearance. She didn't know if she had been the trigger, but suddenly he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hi!" She said shyly, slightly smiling. She had also expected a greeting, but he was frozen in place, just gazing at her. Slowly she straightened up and wanted to grab his hand as he shrank back as if he was afraid to burn himself. She leaned back and took a deep breath to give herself the courage to start the conversation. "Charlotte probably told you what I wrote in my note?" She began reluctantly, noting that her voice was slightly trembling. "You... you should know that I'm not..." He interrupted her before she could finish the sentence.

"Yes, I know," he said coolly, making a dismissive hand movement. "I've talked to your doctor. She informed me about everything."

Emily's eyes widened. She didn't expect that. What was that again with medical confidentiality? But perhaps it didn't pertain for spouses. "She told you... everything?"

Daniel nodded. "Everything. Including the smallest detail. Unlike you, she felt that the husband and father of the baby should also be informed about everything."

It felt like a punch to the stomach! Emily felt her cheeks flushing. She could hear the sarcasm in his tone and knew he had a right to be mad at her. Since she was in the hospital, her bad conscience had piped up more than once. "I... I didn't want to keep it a secret from you," she said hesitantly." Actually, I wanted to tell you immediately after I returned from Paris."

"Why didn't you do it?"

"I was about to tell you, but then... everything came quite differently," she sighed. "Meeting you again was so... so..." She searched for the right expression, but he interrupted her.

"A shock? Do you want to say that?" He waited for her answer.

"Yes, that too," she admitted. "But that wasn't all. I was just so happy at that moment that I didn't want to think about what you had done before."

"What I had done?" He repeated questioningly, then remembered with shame. "Oh, you mean the beach house or the empty threats regarding divorce or custody trial?"

Emily shook her head and bit her lower lip. She hadn't planned to tell him that she knew about his affair with Sara. But since he already wanted honesty, she should give it to him. "I'm talking about you and Sara," she said quietly, then lowered her head. But if she had expected him to show remorse, she got disappointed.

"Sara?" He echoed. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, come on Daniel! I read the article and saw the pictures that were made on the occasion of your birthday," she told him. "There are even gossip magazines in France. What do you think how I felt when my roommate showed me the article?" She didn't give him a chance to speak but continued quickly. "I felt so humiliated! My own husband cheated on me with his ex-slut!"

"That's just terrific!" He laughed sarcastically and jumped up. "Now I'm suddenly your husband again. May I remind you that you left me and not vice versa? And on the subject of sincerity... You withheld the truth of your pregnancy for weeks until it was almost too late!"

"And you slept with me, even though you had been in bed with your slut shortly before!" she snapped at him.

"Sara is not a slut!" He retorted.

"I see that a bit differently. The only thing that differentiates her from a whore is that she doesn't take any money for her services from you!" She glared at him furiously.

With one step he was next to her and took hold of her arms. "Stop it, Emily!" he demanded, looking straight into her eyes. "I didn't sleep with Sara, even though you probably don't believe me!"

"You're right, I don't believe you!" She defied his gaze.

Abruptly, he let go of her. His anger had suddenly turned into resignation. "Yes, that's exactly the problem," he said in a low voice. "We don't trust each other." He stepped back from the bed. "But without trust, a relationship can't work. We've lied to each other for a long time, so we don't believe when the other one is telling the truth." He cast her a sad glance. "I swear I ended the liaison with Sara before it could even start again."

"Why?" The question had slipped out before she could stop it. She had seen the pictures, the amorous looks that they had exchanged. At least Sara still had feelings for him. It was obvious. And yet she believed him at that moment that he told her the truth.

"Because..." He stepped closer again and then sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. "Because I had to admit to myself that I can't live without you!" He confessed to her reluctantly while reaching for her hands. "The separation made me realize how much I love and need you! And when I saw you again, I was overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn't hold back any longer. I swear to you, Emily, I would never have slept with you if I had had sex with another woman before!"

She hadn't noticed the tears at first, only when Daniel gently wiped them away with his finger, she noticed that she was crying. "I love you, too!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier about the baby!"

"It's okay." He lifted her chin up and kissed her tenderly. When he released her, his gaze fell to her stomach. "May I?" When she nodded, he pushed the blanket aside and placed his hand carefully on her barely visible baby bump. "I've already lost my parents," he said in a husky voice. "I couldn't bear if I had lost my baby, too."

"Our baby," she corrected him, smiling, and then made room for him to lie down beside her.

When a nurse entered the patient's room a short time later, she found the two of them asleep, lying side by side, tightly embracing each other.

 **Fairview Hospital, Cleveland**

 **Two days later**

Emily was relieved when the doctor told her that the bed rest had been ended and she could be released. She had tried to reach Daniel to tell him the good news, but she had just caught the mailbox from his cell phone. She had no choice but to leave him a short message. But the one who was entering her room now was not Daniel but Charlotte. And Emily immediately noticed that something had happened. Charlotte's eyes were red and swollen as if she'd been crying for hours.

"Daniel asked me to pick you up," she said in a low, shaky voice. "He couldn't come because..." She broke off and began to sob helplessly.

Emily quickly walked up to her and took her into her arms. "It's about your parents?" she asked hesitantly.

Charlotte nodded. "They... they've found the jet with... with my dad... or what's left of him..." She broke off again because her voice faltered.

Emily stroked her back helplessly. "Shhh, everything will be fine," she muttered, though she knew it was just a hollow promise. What could be more terrible than losing one's parents in such a tragic way!

Charlotte disentangled herself off Emily's arms while tears were still running down her cheeks. "Daniel is in the... morgue," she said in a trembling voice. "They asked him to identify Dad's body."

"Oh no!" Emily's stomach twitched. The thought that he had to do this alone was almost too much for her. She should be with him now!

"He... he didn't want me to come along. He said that I should keep Dad... as I remembered him... " Her voice faltered again, then leaned helplessly against Emily's shoulder. "Now... now they're looking for Mom," she continued, as she had cleared her throat. "She was not in the smashed jet..."

Emily pushed her gently away and looked at her with wide eyes. "Do you know what that means, Charlotte?" She asked excitedly. "If she wasn't in the jet, she might be able to save herself."

Charlotte shook her head. "The jet was completely destroyed. No one could've gotten out alive."

"But if she wasn't in the jet, where can she be?" She looked at her sister, frowning.

"I don't know." Charlotte wiped the tears from her eyes. "But they're still looking for her."

Emily went to the door. "Before you take me to the hotel... can you bring me to the morgue?"

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," Charlotte said after a brief hesitation. "You're just coming out of the hospital and you need rest and no stress again. Daniel will never forgive me if something happens to you or the baby."

"The doctor said everything is fine now," Emily said, "I can even fly again. And it's my decision, not yours. Besides, I'd like to be with him. This is what you always vow before the wedding altar, for better or for worse. I just want to be there for him. Do you understand that?"

"Fine," Charlotte gave in, sighing. "But if it's becoming more than you can cope with, you need to tell me immediately!"

Emily nodded. "I promise." She took Charlotte's arm, and together they left the hospital room.

 **Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

 **A few days earlier**

"How long does it take?" Conrad paced in Victoria's bedroom nervously back and forth while he was looking at his watch. "Victoria!" He shouted again.

She came out of her dressing room and smoothed down her dress. "Why the hurry? I thought the event wouldn't begin until afternoon."

He nodded. "That's true, but they have announced bad weather. And I'm not so fond of flying in storm and rain."

Victoria stepped onto her turret and looked frowning in the distance. "The sun is shining. It doesn't look like a storm at all. I don't think it will rain."

"I rather trust the weather report than your intuition." He rolled his eyes.

"That wouldn't be the first time," she murmured, pulling at her hair. "Speaking of flying... Did you know Emily is coming back today?"

"Yes, Daniel told me." He looked down at the beach house and smiled. "I'm so glad that our son has finally realized what big mistake he made by letting Emily go."

She raised her head and looked at him indignantly. "Are you serious? Well, I see that quite differently. He makes a big mistake by forgiving her. But you're all the same." She rolled her eyes. "You only think with the heart, not with the mind."

"True," he said thoughtfully. "Otherwise I wouldn't have married you back then."

"A mistake we can very quickly rectify," she said coolly.

"What do you mean?" He frowned confused.

She took a deep breath before she told him what she had been thinking about for a long time. "This charity event in Chicago will be the last I'll visit with you, Conrad," she said firmly. "I've thought about it for a long time and I've come to the result that it's best to go separate ways."

For a moment he was too stunned to respond, but then he began to sneer cynically. "You've threatened me so many times with divorce that it's getting ridiculous, and yet you've always come back to me ruefully."

"Not this time." She shook her head emphatically. "You overstepped the mark when you tried to rape me!" She thrust out.

"For what I apologized more than once." He gave her a meaningful look. "We are like the match and the striking surface. We belong together, Victoria!"

She raised her eyebrows amused. "And I've asked myself for years, from whom Daniel has this interest in poetry. I had no idea that a thing like that was slumbering inside of you."

"I mean it." He took a step towards her and reached out for her, but she backed away from him. "I didn't want to hurt you then," he said softly. "I was jealous of David. I wanted to get what you had refused to give me."

She closed her eyes for a moment. The retrospection of that day, when he had tried to rape her, still made her tremble inwardly. "This is no excuse, Conrad! Our marriage had long been broken. David had nothing to do with it."

"I wanted to show you that you belong to me," he clarified.

She shook her head. "I'm not your possession and never was." She turned away from him and went back to her room. "Now let's go to the hangar. I want to get this over and done with. And after that..." She looked him straight in the eye. "After that I'm going to file for divorce!"

He hadn't responded, but simply followed her silently. But when they were on the road in the car, she doubted whether she was doing the right thing. They would appear as a married couple at this charity event, which they hadn't been for a long time. And since she was going to leave him anyway, it made no sense to accompany him at all. They had almost reached the hangar where the company jet was placed as she laid her hand on the steering wheel. "Stop the car, Conrad," she said in a steady voice.

He looked at her bewildered. "How so? We're almost there. "

"I'm not going with you." She waited until he steered the car to the side edge of the street.

"Stop your silly behavior, Victoria! We have already given notice that we both would attend, and they are expecting that we appear as a couple." He twisted his mouth annoyed. "Buckle up again and let's continue driving!"

She shook her head. "I don't want to appear in the public as a loving wife, when our marriage is broken," she insisted stubbornly.

"Why didn't you think of that earlier?" he growled indignantly.

"Better late than never," she replied, opening the door.

"How do you get home? Walking by foot?" He laughed contemptuously after he had looked at her high-heeled pumps.

"I'm calling a taxi." She got out and leaned towards him. "We're talking about everything else when you're back. Have fun on the charity ball and a pleasant flight!" She slammed the door and then watched the car with mixed emotions until he had disappeared from her view. Had she just ended her marriage? She still couldn't believe that she had at last mustered the courage to do so. She was finally free! She was about to pick up her mobile phone from her purse and dial the number of the taxi office, when next to her a black delivery truck stopped. When two dark, masked men jumped out of the car and approached her, she was too shocked to react. She wanted to flee, but it was already too late. She could feel someone grabbing her and then pressing a cloth, soaked with some liquid, on her nose. _An anesthetic!_ was the last thing that flashed through her mind before darkness surrounded her...


	15. Kidnapping

**City Morgue, Cleveland**

When Emily and Charlotte entered the hall, they were greeted by a staff member of the morgue who politely inquired about the reason for their appearance and then led them to the waiting area, where Daniel was sitting alone on one of the chairs, with his head lowered and his face buried in his hands. Charlotte walked slowly towards him and touched his shoulder gently. "Daniel?" As he lifted his head up, looking at her, she noticed that tears were glistening in his eyes. It was not necessary that he confirmed it. She already knew that the dead body in the morgue was her dad. She bent down to him and hugged him while tears were running down her cheeks. For a moment they only held on to each other and tried to give one another solace when Daniel spotted Emily who had been standing motionless, watching them from the doorway the whole time. He cautiously disentangled himself from Charlotte's arms and rose slowly as he continued to gaze at Emily.

She didn't have to think for long. That was the reason she had come here. She took a step forward and put her arms around him. "I'm so sorry!" She muttered as she stroked his head and back. She noticed how his shoulders twitched and held him even more tighter to her chest. She couldn't remember when she'd seen him cry the last time. And it almost broke her heart.

"You... you shouldn't be here," he said in a low, faint voice when he had composed himself and looked at her with teary eyes. "And neither you," he turned to his sister.

"We're family," Charlotte said. "Emily reminded me of that on the way here. We should get through this together."

He nodded and then pushed Emily gently on a chair. "You still must look after yourself."

"That's so sweet that you're worried." She tried to smile. "But I'm fine."

"Was it... bad? I mean... seeing Dad..." Charlotte asked reluctantly.

Daniel nodded. "Until the end... I was hoping... that they were wrong," he said hesitantly. "That it wasn't Dad in the plane wreck... But then... then..." His voice failed and he shook his head. "I will never get this image out of my head..."

Emily reached for his hands and squeezed them. "I wish I'd been here sooner," she said softly. "We could have gone inside together."

He shook his head. "I'm glad that none of you had to see him again." He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears away.

"Dad is really dead..." Charlotte muttered as if she had to make it aware of herself again.

Daniel nodded. "They're just checking the jet, or what's left of it. They want to exclude third-party negligence."

"Or just the opposite," Emily interjected. "Are they still suspecting that someone tampered with the jet?"

"Basically yes," Daniel confirmed. "But the pilot didn't survive the crash either. That's why they can't ask him if he noticed anything unusual about the jet before the crash."

"And your mom was not in the wreck?" Emily asked.

"No." He shook his head. "And those from the search party also rule out that she could save herself in some way. The jet didn't even have an emergency parachute. How could she get out there alone? And even though I wasn't personally at the crash site, I've seen pictures. The jet was too destroyed that a person could get out alive."

"That's odd." Emily frowned. "That would mean that your mom wasn't in the jet when it crashed. But where is she now?"

Daniel shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea. They are looking for her. But so far without success. It seems she has disappeared off the face of the earth." He sighed deeply. "But now I have to take care of Dad being taken home first. And then preparations for the funeral must be made, and... "

"I'll help you," Emily quickly tossed in. "And I'm sure we can ask others to help us, too."

"I have to contact our family lawyer because of the estate matters," Daniel continued. "And I hope Mom is back until the opening of will. I guess Dad left her the most of the family fortune." He looked at his sister, who had become strangely quiet. "Charlotte?"

She raised her head abruptly. "I just remembered something," she said hesitantly. "If David really had tampered with the jet because he had earnest intentions to kill Dad, he might have warned Mom before she could go on board. Maybe she left with him." She shrugged. "They had had an affair before. Maybe she left Dad and ran away with David."

"You really have a vivid imagination!" Daniel rolled his eyes. "Or you watched too many slushy movies."

Hesitantly, Emily pulled out her cell phone and looked into her stored contacts. She still had her father's number, but since the day she'd left him in the woods, she'd never tried to get in touch with him again. Maybe now was a good time to try it again. With trembling fingers she pressed the dial number and waited. She didn't know what she had expected, but of course she only reached the mailbox. Quickly she hung up.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte moved closer, looking over her shoulder.

"I still have my father's number stored," she said hesitantly. "I tried to call him."

"Did you want to ask him if he killed my father?" Daniel raised his eyebrows confused.

"'Rather, if he knows where your mother is. But only the mailbox is switched on."

"Just talk on the mailbox," Charlotte suggested. "Mention something like 'life and death'. Then he will return the call."

Emily looked doubtfully at her sister. "Are you sure about that?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Maybe. But it's worth a try."

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, do what you think is necessary, but I have to go back in there, to manage a few formalities because of the transfer. We'll meet up outside the car, okay?"

Charlotte nodded and pulled Emily to the exit. When they were outside, she pointed to Emily's phone. "Talk to the mailbox!" She repeated.

"What if he was really involved in Conrad's death?" Emily said. "I just didn't think it through when I called. What are we going to do then?"

"We'll think about it when he returns the call." Charlotte took the cell phone out of her hand and pressed the dial button. "At first I want to know where my mom is." She returned the phone. "Come on, speak something on it!"

Emily took a deep breath before she spoke her message on the mailbox. "Hi Dad! It's me, Amanda. It's a matter of urgency why I'm calling you. I need your help, instantly! It's about life and death..."

 ** **At the kidnapper's hiding place, New York****

 **A few days earlier (after the crash of the company jet)**

When Victoria regained consciousness, she was lying on a hard ground, her eyes blindfolded, hands chained. Panic came over her as she remembered what had happened just before she was anesthetized and had lost consciousness. The black van, the masked men, the cloth that had been pressed on her nose... Everything returned and she began to scream. At least they hadn't gagged her, she thought, as a hand was pulled over her mouth and stifled her screams.

"If you don't stop right away, I'll give you a gag!"

Frightened she obeyed. Even when the hand disappeared and she could breathe freely again, she didn't dare to emit another scream.

"Yes, much better."

"Who... who are you?" She asked in a low, croaky voice.

"You must think that I'm stupid to tell you who I am."

She heard a throaty laugh and flinched. This is how Conrad had felt when they had kidnapped him, she thought. What did the man want, or were there others, too? At least two men had jumped out of the car. One had held her, the other had narcotized her. She couldn't remember what had happened after that. "D-do you want ransom?" She asked in a shaky voice. She heard again this laughter, which was already getting on her nerves. "You... you kidnapped me because you wanted to demand ransom?" She tried again. The laughter ceased abruptly. Instead, she felt something cool, sharp-edged, at her throat. _A knife?_ she thought full of panic and began to breathe faster. "Please, don't kill me!" She pleaded. "My... my husband will pay whatever price you're asking for!" Again this laughter! She would have liked to cover her ears when her hands were free.

"I'm afraid your husband is no longer capable of doing so."

She felt her throat tighten. "What... what does that mean?" She stammered.

"Just a moment..."

Relieved, she realized that the sharp object had disappeared from her neck. Nervous and with a beating heart, she waited in the silence what would happen next. There were voices. A woman's voice, and she seemed to come from a radio or television.

 _ _"The company jet, with the Grayson couple on board, was on the way to Chicago, where Conrad Grayson and his wife wanted to participate in a charity ball. But shortly behind Cleveland the jet disappeared from the radar. It's assumed that a turbulence was responsible that the jet couldn't keep its route and then probably plunged into Lake Erie during a correction maneuver. The search has already begun. However, there is still no trace of the missing jet or the passengers..."__

"A truly tragic accident. It must be terrible to die that way."

 _The jet! Conrad!_ was all she could think of at that moment. "Nooooo!" She started screaming again and tossed and turned to get rid of her restraints. Tears of despair soaked her blindfold, and she began to sob helplessly. "What did you do?!" She screamed without thinking about the consequences. But instead of an answer, she felt the knife at her throat again and froze.

"You think we were responsible for the crash? Well, unfortunately, I must disappoint you. We usually do our jobs without leaving any traces. The crash of a company jet would be too conspicuous. This isn't our style of working."

"Conrad..." she stammered. She couldn't believe he was dead. It was only a few hours since she'd talked to him. And now he should have crashed with the jet? Her brain refused to accept this fact.

"You might be a little more grateful. After all, my men and I have saved you from death, merely unintentional."

'The Grayson couple' the newscaster had said. So they actually assumed that she had been on the jet. The thought sent a chill down her spine. If she hadn't decided at the last minute to leave Conrad, she would probably be lying on the ground of Lake Erie or somewhere ashore in the wreck of the jet. She would be dead now! She began to hyperventilate and started to panic.

"Okay, keep your breathing calm!"

She could feel the knife being removed from her neck and instead strong hands grabbing her and bringing her into a sitting position.

"You're not helping when you get a heart attack now and croak! So head between the knees and breathe deeply!"

She had no choice than to obey when he pushed her down. So she forced herself to breathe evenly and noticed that she got indeed calmer.

"Much better."

"What... what do you want from me?" She asked quietly as her pulse was normal again.

"Demand ransom. You got that right. But since your husband can no longer accomplish this duty, we thought your son can do it instead."

 _Daniel!_ Her breath caught once more. What were these men capable of? Would they also kill her son? She had no doubt that her kidnappers were responsible for the crash, even though the man denied it. But who were these men? "Please, leave my son alone!" She begged desperately. "He has nothing to do with it!"

"I think you are wrong with that, Mrs. Grayson. Let us assume that your husband didn't survive the crash, which is very likely, your son will probably inherit everything. That is why he is exactly our contact person."

She moistened her dry lips. "You have tried to kill us on purpose!" she accused him.

"I don't like to repeat myself, but we have nothing to do with the crash. Fact is that we have been shadowing you for a long time and have only been waiting for a favorable opportunity to catch you alone."

She shook her head in despair. "How so?"

"Well, let's put it this way... We just want to get back what is ours by right."

"I don't understand..."

"That doesn't matter. The less you know, the better it is for you. And now excuse me. My men and I have to make some arrangements."

"Wait!" But she only heard a door snap shut and suddenly she was surrounded by silence. Desperately, she tugged at her chains, but she realized soon that she only hurt herself. She tried to think logically and straight, despite the fear she felt. So they had kidnapped her to demand ransom. But what if the money was paid, would they set her free? Or would they kill her as they had killed Conrad? Tears of despair soaked her blindfolds again. She became aware of the scope of the catastrophe just at that moment. Conrad was probably dead, and she had been abducted! She started screaming again, calling for help, but she gave up, as her throat began to ache. She didn't know where she was, because her eyes were still blindfolded, but obviously the walls were so well insulated that no one outside could hear her cry. Calling for help was futile. She had been sitting upright all the time, but now she gave in to her fatigue and sank back to her cot. She was so tired that it didn't take long before she fell asleep...


	16. Reunion

****Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 **Two days later**

Tired and exhausted, Daniel, Charlotte and Emily with Julian in her arms entered Grayson Manor and put their bags down. After they had taken care of everything in Cleveland, they had flown back home, where they first had picked up Julian from Jack and Ava and then had driven on to the Manor. It was ghostly quiet in the house, reminding them that one of the home owners was dead and the other one vanished. Daniel put his arm around Charlotte's shoulder and squeezed it as he saw her lower lip began to tremble. Only now, that they were back home, they realized that their father would never return to this place. And there was still no trace of Victoria. Emily rather would have spent the night at the beach house, but she didn't want to leave the two mourners alone. So she had spontaneously decided to stay at the Manor as well. For Julian it made no difference, since he had a nursery here, as well as over there. But Charlotte wanted to be in her familiar surroundings, which Emily could understand, after everything she had been through. She looked up as someone came down the stairs, and for a moment she thought it was Victoria. But it was only the house maid.

"Welcome home, Mr. Grayson, ... Charlotte," she greeted, frowning questioningly as she noticed Emily.

"My wife will stay overnight," Daniel explained quickly, following the gaze of his employees. "Please prepare one of the guest rooms."

Emily looked at him in surprise. After they already had slept together in the beach house, she had expected to sleep with him in his bed. But he probably didn't want the staff to spread gossip. What they probably had done anyway after being separated from him for almost two months. She turned to Daniel. "I'll bring Julian to his room, so that he can go to sleep again."

He nodded. "I'll be right there. Charlotte, would you like to go to your room, too?"

She turned to the stairs. "Yes, I'm tired. I'm going to bed now." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and went slowly upstairs.

"On behalf of all the staff members, I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to you," the maid said sympathetically.

"Thank you, Rosa." Daniel cleared his throat. "Is there any news about my mother's whereabouts?"

She shook her head regretfully. "Unfortunately, no. But the police will take care of it now that you're back. Am I right Mr. Grayson?"

Daniel nodded wearily and wiped his eyes. "Yes, it's more than 48 hours since she disappeared. I will report her as missing."

"There were a lot of letters and mail incoming during your absence," she said. "Some for your father as well." She cleared her throat. "I put everything into your father's study. I hope it's okay?"

"Yes, of course, Rosa. I'll take care of the mail tomorrow. Now I'm going to sleep. It's quite late." He forced a smile. "Good night! If you have prepared the guest room upstairs, you can also go home then."

"Thank you, Mr. Grayson." She curtsied slightly. "Good night to you, too!" She hurriedly ran up the stairs.

Daniel wondered whether he should take a look at the mail first, but decided against it. He was just too exhausted to concentrate on business matters regarding Grayson Global. What would happen with the company now that his father was dead? He had enough work as a publisher, as he could also attend to business of Grayson Global. But most certainly his father expected from him to continue the business. He had been glad when he could give up his CEO position years ago. Groaning, he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know how to cope with all the things which crashed in on him now and forced him to make a decision. Tomorrow he would start, he decided. Now he had to sleep first. Slowly he went upstairs and opened the door to Julian's nursery and looked inside.

"Pssst!" Emily held her finger to her lips as she saw him standing in the door. "He just fell asleep," she whispered.

Daniel nodded and approached her reluctantly. He leaned over the crib and gently stroked the baby's cheek before he straightened himself. "Are you coming?" He whispered to Emily and grabbed her hand.

She nodded and followed him into the bedroom. "I thought you wanted us to sleep separately," she said, sitting down on the bed.

"I just wanted to protect you from the staff's gossiping." He sat down next to her. "I don't want to be alone this night," he confessed in a low voice. "Please, stay with me!"

"Shall I just stay that night?" She looked him deep in the eye.

"No, every night from now on... forever." He gently lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly.

Before she realized what she was doing, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with passion. She had hoped that the kiss would lead to more, much more, but suddenly he withdrew. "What's wrong?" She asked, slightly out of breath.

"Before I completely lose my mind because I can't think straight in your presence," he began reluctantly. "... I would like to give this to you..." He opened the nightstand drawer and took out the two rings, the engagement and wedding band, and reached for her left hand. "Emily Grayson, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you," he said solemnly. "And I hope you want the same." When she didn't respond and just stared at the rings, he quickly slipped the two rings on her finger and then looked at her expectantly.

It was crazy how often history had repeated itself again, she thought, staring at the rings, which now glinted on her hand again. She was so happy at that moment that he hadn't done what she had asked him to do in her farewell letter; to throw them into the ocean. She raised her head to him and looked him deeply in the eye. "I realized in Paris that I can't imagine my world without you," she confessed in a shaky voice, as she noticed tears coming into her eyes. "And I promise you that I will never slip these rings off from now on!"

"Not even when you do the dishes?" He said, smiling, pulling her closer again.

"What do we have a dishwasher for?" She kissed him first this time before he could reply. And then Emily's desire for more physical closeness was satisfied as he gently pushed her on the bed and began to undress her slowly ...

"Why haven't I noticed it before?" He wondered, stroking her naked belly and breasts. "You've really put on a bit weight in some places. And you have that glow in your eyes that only pregnant women have."

"You're only saying that because you know," she said, smiling, snuggling against him. The sex with him had not only relaxed her, but also had made her tired. She just wanted to sleep now.

"You know what? My dad is responsible that we got together again." He said suddenly into the silence.

"How so?" She frowned questioningly.

"That you saved his life back then impressed him deeply. He knew your father had been responsible for the kidnapping."

"He knew it?" She sat up abruptly, the fatigue suddenly gone.

Daniel nodded. "And that is why he believed your words in the letter that you became a new person. He has always believed in the good in you when I was still in doubt."

"Really?" She noticed how her eyes filled with tears. She hadn't even cried once since she knew that her father-in-law was dead. But Daniel's words affected her. Conrad Grayson had been her ally, she just didn't know about it.

"Do you know what his words had been?"

She shook her head, because tears were running down her cheeks and she couldn't speak.

Daniel reached for her hand and looked thoughtfully at the rings. "I was ready to throw them into the ocean, but my father held me back." He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "He said... 'You know it's all up to you, what will happen between the two of you in the future.' He really believed we would get back together, and he was ready to help me. I wasn't so sure about that at the time, but when I looked out into the ocean, the memories came back to me when I asked you to marry me on the beach. I couldn't do it. I took the rings and put them back into the drawer." He smiled. "And I'm glad I decided that way. Otherwise I should have bought you a set of new rings."

"Conrad really wanted us to reunite again?" She asked in a low voice. "I thought he hated me just like your mother."

"I think deep in his heart he always believed in true love," he said thoughtfully. "Afterwards, we often sat together in his study in the evening and just talked." He sighed deeply. "For the first time in my life, I felt that he was really interested in me and the things that mattered to me. All the years before, my childhood and youth... He was never there. His job was his life. One reason I've always said I never wanted to be like my father. But in the last few weeks I was able to get to know him again. We had something like a real father-son relationship. And to get back to the beginning..." He took a deep breath. "He was the one who has always encouraged me to search for you. He wanted me to face my fear and not run away anymore. And if he could see now that you're here again, by my side with my rings on your finger, he would be happy."

"Oh Daniel..." Sobbing, she pressed her face to his naked chest. "I am so sorry!"

"Hey," he hugged her gently. "I didn't intend to make you cry with my story. I just wanted you to know that my father didn't hate you. And without him I might not have had the courage to confess my true feelings to you."

"I'm glad you told me." She kissed him gently. "No more lies from now on. I promise."

He took one of her hair strands and tried to wrap it around his finger. "Promise me something else?" he asked.

"What?" She looked at him, frowning.

"You can never cut off your beautiful hair again."

She nodded, smiling. "I promise." She let her hand running over his naked chest and grinned provokingly. "Ready for the second round?"

"I thought you were tired," he said, raising his eyebrows, amused.

"I'm never too tired to do this..." She put her hand around his neck and lowered her head until their lips met in an ardent kiss...


	17. Premonition

****Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 **The next morning**

"Oh my God!" Shocked, Daniel stared at the letter in his hand, which was pieced together of scraps of newspaper.

 _ _'We have Victoria Grayson under our control! For a fair amount of ransom money we are willing to set her free. Further information on the amount and transfer of the ransom will be given at a later date. Warning! No police! Otherwise we won't hesitate to kill the victim!'__

With a trembling hand, he took the envelope in which the blackmailing letter had been found and turned it back and forth. Nothing. No sender, no stamp. Only a simple brown envelope. Apparently the letter had been thrown directly into the mailbox in front of the house. Daniel rubbed his hands over his face and groaned softly. His mother had been kidnapped! That was the reason she had disappeared. He was relieved that she was alive but was concerned at the same time that he didn't know what the kidnappers had done to her. The threat of killing her clearly showed that they were capable of anything. Slowly he rose, took the letter and left the study to go to the dining room, where Emily and Charlotte were sitting at the breakfast table.

"Mom's been kidnapped!" He came straight to the point and put the letter on the table, for everybody visible.

Charlotte dropped her croissant and looked at him incredulously. "Kidnapped?" She stammered.

Emily took the letter and read the lines. "The good thing is that we know now she didn't crash with the jet," she began hesitantly. "The police in Cleveland can stop the search. We have to go to the NY Police and show them the letter."

Daniel shook his head. "Didn't you read it? No police! I certainly don't risk my mother's life by asking for help from the authorities." He took a deep breath. "I'll take care of it myself."

"These are criminals, Daniel!" Emily said warningly. "It's far too dangerous to go against them alone."

"They haven't even mentioned the amount of money," Charlotte said, frowning. "And what does it mean 'at a later date'? How long do they plan to hold Mom captive?"

"I don't know." Daniel sighed and ran with one hand through his hair. "I only know that nobody can know about it, except us."

"I could ask Nolan if he could help us. He has certain contacts..."

"I said nobody!" He interrupted her harshly. "Not even Ava or Jack, the press or whoever. Did you get that?"

Charlotte nodded intimidated. "I won't do anything to endanger Mom's life."

"So we just wait for the kidnappers to report back to us?" Emily asked frowning.

"We have no other choice."

"We don't even know who the kidnappers are," Charlotte said desperately. "And who tells us that they really will set Mom free when they got the money?"

Daniel exchanged a look with Emily. But she just shook her head. "I have to go to the airport later," he suddenly changed the subject. "They called earlier that the plane, with Dad's casket on board, will arrive in the next hour. I would like to be there when they take him to the undertaker. Then I will talk to the priest immediately and set a date for the funeral service."

"I'll take care of the invitations to the funeral if you don't mind," Emily offered.

Daniel nodded. "And don't forget what I said... nobody can know about the abduction!"

"They'll all wonder where Victoria is," Emily said. "Especially since they stated in the news that she was with him when the jet crashed."

"We just make up something." He gestured with his hands. "What about this? She wasn't feeling well that she couldn't accompany him. And she's still too sick to attend the funeral."

Emily grimaced. "I don't like to lie to my friends."

"You've done it for years. Another lie won't hurt," he burst out without thinking and regretted his slip-out immediately. "I'm sorry!" He gently touched her arm. "I didn't mean to say that."

"It's okay." She shook off his hand and pushed the chair back to get up. "You're right. I've lied to all sorts of people for years. And I can understand that you can't forgive me so easily, even if you claim to love me." She turned away because she felt tears coming into her eyes. _Darn hormones!_ she thought as she quickly ran up the stairs and then fled into the bathroom.

"Damn it!" Daniel exclaimed frustrated. "Why couldn't I keep my big mouth shut?"

"Perhaps because Emily is right and you still haven't forgiven her for lying to you for years?" Charlotte suggested dryly.

"That's not it." He sighed. "I forgave her. And I also believe she has changed. But at the moment I see no other solution than to lie to everyone. And I just thought it was easy for her because she'd done it before. That's all I wanted to say."

"Tell her this and not me." Charlotte rose as well. "If you want, I'll accompany you to the airport." She looked him straight in the eye. "I want to see Dad again."

"Charlotte no!" He shook his head. "Don't do that!"

"I'm an adult, right? It's my decision. And I need to see him once more so I can realize for myself that he is really dead."

He nodded hesitantly. "I'll wait down here until you've changed clothes."

Charlotte smiled gratefully at him and then ran upstairs. She stopped before the bathroom door. "Emily? Are you in there? Is everything all right?" She listened for a moment, then was relieved when the door opened.

"I didn't mean to overreact," Emily said quietly, wiping the tears from her face. "I know he didn't want to hurt me with the statement. I can understand that he doesn't see any other solution at the moment. Nevertheless, it hurts that he still believes that it's easy for me to lie. He has no idea how much I fought to build up a new life without lies."

Charlotte put her arms around her and squeezed her slightly. "One day he will realize that," she said encouragingly, then took a deep breath. "I'm going to the airport with Daniel, picking up Dad's casket."

Emily nodded. "And I call Nolan and the others and tell them what happened."

Charlotte looked at her with wide eyes. "You want to tell them that Mom was abducted after you just promised to keep silence?" She asked, bewildered.

"You promised, I didn't," Emily corrected. "Do you think I'll let Daniel meet the kidnappers without protection and support? I have had enough experience in the past to know that these criminals never keep their promises. And only if you beat them with their own weapons, you can win."

"Daniel won't like that at all." Charlotte frowned. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I'm sure." Emily nodded determined. "And now go and don't let him wait! I'll take care of everything else."

Charlotte nodded and then turned to the stairs. But before she went downstairs, she looked at her sister with a serious expression. "Please, be careful!" she warned. "Promise me!"

"I promise." Emily smiled and then, with mixed feelings, watched Charlotte hurry downstairs.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

"Mrs. Grayson?"

Emily only heard a knock, and then someone called her name. When she opened the door to the nursery, Rosa, the house maid, stood in front of her. She looked tense and nervous, tugging at her apron all the time. "Yes, Rosa, what is it?"

"There is a gentleman standing at the front door. He would like to speak with you."

"Did he introduce himself?" Emily asked, frowning.

The house maid cleared her throat. "It's the gentleman who had once been a guest from Mrs. Victoria Grayson."

Emily felt her heart beating faster with excitement. She immediately thought of her father. "Have you invited him in?"

Rosa shook her head. "I wanted to ask for your permission first."

"Thank you, Rosa. I'll go and talk to him." Emily looked back at the crib, where Julian slept peacefully, before she followed the house maid down.

"Da-David," she said, as he entered. She'd wanted to say 'Dad' first, but corrected herself. She didn't want the house maid to get suspicious. She nodded to her. "That's all, Rosa. You can go back to your work."

"I just saw how Charlotte and your husband left the house. I thought it would be the perfect time to talk to you." He pointed to the study when the maid had left. "Let's go in there," he suggested.

Emily followed him, then closed the door behind her. "So I guess you got my message?"

He nodded and sat down on a chair. "Yes," he admitted. "Besides, I learned from the news that your father-in-law was killed." He cleared his throat. "I'm really sorry."

She frowned doubtfully. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?" He raised his eyebrows irritated. "Do you think I wanted to see him dead?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glanced at him angrily. "Yes, that's exactly what I think. Or are you denying that it was you who had tampered with the jet?" His stunned expression wasn't faked. She could tell from experience. Or he was a better actor than she'd believed.

"I... Amanda..." he stammered. "You really think I'm capable of murder?!"

She looked at him uncertainly. His gaze was so open, expressing honest disbelief that she could assume he was a murderer. And suddenly, she had earnest doubts that her theory about him being responsible for the crash was true. But if he hadn't tampered with the jet, who had? Who had killed Conrad?

"I hated him for framing me and bringing me to jail, but I never would have been able to kill him! You can take my word for it!" He said imploringly.

"I... believe you," she finally said after a moment of hesitation. And it was not a lie. She really believed him.

"You only ordered me here because you believed I killed Conrad?" He resumed.

She nodded. "Even the police in Cleveland, where the jet crashed, believed it," she told him. "Or at least they assumed that it could be the same people who had already kidnapped Conrad."

"I didn't kidnap him." He frowned. "Castillo and his men had sedated, kidnapped and brought him to the dugout in the forest."

"I know." She nodded. "You told me about it. But you tasked these men to do it." She looked at him, frowning. "That's true, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's true. But I just wanted to intimidate him, threaten him, and hoped he would be so sensible to leave the country voluntarily. I never intended to kill him."

"Maybe it wasn't your intention, but what about Castillo?"

"You think his men were the ones who had tampered with the jet?" David asked incredulously.

"It could be." Emily shrugged. "If you didn't do it, who else?"

"Yes, who else?" He repeated, looking at her thoughtfully.

"But that's not all..." Emily said reluctantly and took the envelope with the blackmailing letter from the desk. "Victoria was kidnapped!" She pushed the letter to him and saw his face suddenly change from rosy to chalky white. She was about to say something when she heard a knock at the door. Quickly she rose and opened the door. It was the house maid again.

"Sorry to bother you! But the baby is crying. I've tried to calm him, but he won't stop. Could you come and see what's wrong with him?"

"Yes, of course." She glanced to her father, who didn't seem to notice her, but continued to look at the blackmailing letter. "I'll be right back. Wait here!" She left the study, ran up the stairs, and took the crying baby out of his crib. After checking the diaper and also ensuring that he had no hunger anymore, she put him back into his crib, put the musical clock on, and pushed the pacifier into his mouth. It was not long before he finally fell asleep again. "Finally," Emily muttered quietly, closing the door to the nursery. She looked at the clock. It had taken twenty minutes to soothe Julian. And she hoped that her father was not too mad that she left him waiting for so long. But when she returned to the study, she found it empty. Troubled, she went to search for him and met the house maid again.

"If you are looking for the gentleman," she began hesitantly. "He left a few minutes ago. I should tell you that something very important had come up that he needed to leave."

"Thank you, Rosa." With the premonition that something bad had happened, Emily ran back into the study and then gazed in disbelief at the blank spot on the work desk. Not only her father was gone, but the blackmailing letter as well...


	18. Suspicion

**Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

"Come in quickly!" Emily took Nolan's arm and pulled him into the house before he could say welcome to her. "Thank you for coming so fast!"

"It sounded terribly dramatic what you babbled on the phone." He frowned questioningly. "Victoria was kidnapped?"

"If it were no more than that." She hustled him over to the study and then closed the door. "Here we can talk undisturbed."

"Okay, what's wrong?" He dropped into a chair.

"Daniel received a letter that revealed that Victoria was kidnapped," she told him. "He and Charlotte went to the airport to pick up Conrad's casket and to discuss details with the priest for the funeral service afterwards. And I stayed at home because... "

"My deepest sympathy!" Nolan interrupted Emily's rant. "I've learned from the news of Conrad's death."

"It's okay." Emily made an impatient hand movement. "So, where had I stopped? Oh, yes, I stayed at the house because I had to take care of Julian. And then the doorbell rang and Rosa, our house maid, told me that a gentleman wanted to speak to me." She took a deep breath before she continued. "It was my father."

"What?" Nolan exclaimed incredulously. "David is back?"

Emily nodded. "And he stole the blackmailing letter."

"Wait." Nolan was scratching his head. "I think I can't follow you anymore. What did David want here?"

"I left him a message on his mailbox. I thought he was responsible for the crash, but he swore to me that he had nothing to do with it."

"And you believed him?"

"Yes, I believed him," she admitted. "But then I had to leave him alone for a while, and when I came back, he and the letter were gone."

"And what exactly am I supposed to do now?" Nolan asked frowning.

"Before Daniel left the house, he had warned me not to tell anyone that his mother was kidnapped." She sighed and put a strand of hair behind her ear. "He'll freak out when he learns I told David! Especially now, of all times, where we just got together again!"

"You and Daniel... you're together again?" Nolan asked surprised.

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you." Smiling, she held out her left hand to him that he could take a look at her rings.

"Wow!" Nolan raised his eyebrows. "We were just a few days apart from each other, and now you come back home happily married." He grinned. "Have you told him about the baby by now?"

"Of course." She nodded proudly. "We have sworn to tell only the truth from now on."

"Okay." He frowned thoughtfully. "Now I know why you asked me for help. You want me to lie for you."

"No." She shook her head. "No more lies. I thought you might have an idea where my father could be. You were friends after all."

"That was a long time ago." Nolan thought for a moment. "Tell me everything, every detail of your conversation with him. Don't leave anything out. Maybe I have an idea then."

And Emily told him about her suspicion that Conrad's kidnappers might have something to do with the crash of the jet and about David's reaction when she showed him the blackmailing letter. "He was frozen in shock and pale in his face. As if he had just seen a ghost."

"Maybe he had," Nolan muttered. "Or, he had a sudden flash of inspiration about who might have kidnapped Victoria."

"From just viewing the blackmailing letter?" Emily asked, then shook her head. "I think that is very unlikely."

"Do you know the men your father had hired to kidnap Conrad?" Nolan asked all of a sudden.

"I only know that one of them was called Castillo," she said. "But I know nothing more."

"Thank you, that's enough." Nolan jumped up from his chair.

"What are you up to?" Emily hurried after him as he left the study and headed for the front door.

"Do a little research. If my suspicion is confirmed, we won't only find your father, but also Victoria." He opened the door to leave and almost collided with Daniel who was about to enter the house.

"Nolan?" He exclaimed in astonishment, giving Emily a reproachful look. "What's going on here?"

"Before you freak out, please let me explain!" Emily begged, after a minute of silence. But she was interrupted by him.

"You told him, didn't you?" He looked at Nolan. "Even though I asked you not to tell anyone!"

"I usually don't interfere in other people's affairs," Nolan tossed in. "But in this case, she probably had no choice." He quickly exchanged a look with her and continued as she nodded. "Well, as it seems, David was here and took the blackmailing letter."

"Your father knows about this, too?" Daniel was staring at her in horror. "It just keeps getting better!"

"We called him. You know that," Charlotte interjected. "And you even approved of it."

"I approved?" He looked at his sister perplexed. "I can't remember."

"It was after our visit at the morgue in Cleveland," she said quietly. "You said we should do what we thought is best. And Emily left a message at David's mailbox because she couldn't reach him personally."

Daniel nodded. "Yes, I remember now." He looked at Emily. "And did he confess to you that he killed my father?"

"No, he said he had nothing to do with it. And I believed him," she said hesitantly.

"Of course you believed him, because everyone in your family is so truthful and honest!" He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Daniel!" Charlotte looked at him reproachfully. "Your sarcasm doesn't help much." She turned to Nolan. "What did you say before... David stole the letter?"

Nolan nodded. "I guess he knows where your mother is."

"You too, right?" Emily interjected and turned to Nolan.

All eyes were on Nolan. "Well..." He cleared his throat. "...It may well be that I know who kidnapped her. Or at least I have a vague suspicion."

"Who was it?" Charlotte asked nervously, looking at him with wide eyes. "Who kidnapped my mom?"

 **Somewhere in New York**

 **A few hours later**

David parked his car in a side road before he got out and made his way to Castillo's hideout. The moment he had held the blackmailing letter in his hands, he knew that he and his men had kidnapped Victoria. He remembered the first time he'd entered Castillo's place. The first thing that he had noticed back then had been the great number of blackmailing letters, which had been neatly piled up. "Client orders," the head of the criminal group had said grinning, when David had pointed at the stack. The blackmailing letters had almost all looked identical. Castillo had always used the same block letters, apparently also from the same magazines. Only the names of the victims had been different, the text had been the same. David entered the backyard and walked determinedly towards the building where Castillo was doing his shady dealings. Once again he wondered why he had gotten involved with Castillo and his men at all. They were criminals! He should have known that they couldn't be trusted. But he had been willing to do anything to get rid of Conrad. And now they had Victoria under their control. He rechecked whether his gun was stowed discreetly in his waistband before he entered the hideout.

"Mr. Bellows! What a joy to see you again! "The head of the criminal association rose and went around his desk. "I'm assuming you're here to pay your remaining debts?"

"Not quite." David took the blackmailing letter and slammed it onto the desk. "Maybe you'll explain this to me first!" He defied Castillo's piercing look.

"Where did you get that?"

"That doesn't matter. I want to know why you had kidnapped Mrs. Grayson!"

"That's none of your business." Castillo sat back in his chair and reached for the blackmailing letter. "You had an affair with her," he said thoughtfully, then grinned broadly. "That's why you hired us to get rid of her husband."

David didn't try to show that the man had hit the mark. "I gave you the order to kidnap him, not to kill him."

"And we did exactly what you had requested" Castillo took a ball pen and twisted it between his fingers. "We have kept our word, which can't be said about you. You still owe us money for our service."

"So this is all about the money?" David looked at him, frowning. "You kidnapped Victoria and killed her husband because of that?"

Castillo rolled his eyes impatiently. "It's always all about the money. This is our job, Mr. Bellows. I thought this would be clear to you when you came to us and asked for help. There are not many associations that are willing to do dirty business and criminal acts. As you may know, we do almost everything that our clients demand. However, we have nothing to do with the jet crash. I would like to point this out again."

"Who gave you the order to kidnap Mrs. Grayson?" David asked, ignoring the last part of the sentence.

"Nobody. It was our idea." He shrugged. "We must get our money, somehow."

"How much do you want?" David asked. "I'm willing to pay any amount."

Castillo laughed. "The woman has to mean a lot to you that you are ready to give your last shirt for her."

David's hands clenched involuntarily. He would have liked to hit him. But he held back. "I asked how much?" He repeated again.

"Half a million." Castillo leaned back and grinned.

David forced himself not to show how shocked he was. Completely impossible to raise money in such a high amount. But he had to play along to save Victoria. He cleared his throat. "Agreed," he said quickly. "But first of all I want to see her."

"You are hardly in a position to make demands," Castillo said with a serious face. "I'm afraid you must trust my word that she is doing well."

"All right," David replied reluctantly. "I trust you."

"Then it's settled. You get the money, deliver it in person, and we will free Mrs. Grayson in return." Castillo nodded contentedly. "And no monkey business," he warned. "You know, when you involve the police, not only you will go to jail, but your lovely mistress won't live long enough to see the next morning!"

"Understood." David nodded, feverishly considering what he could do next. "How can I get in touch with you?"

"Well, you already have found me here. As I said, the transfer of the money must be done personally." He grinned again. "Goods for money. And in the reverse order." He made a hand movement and pointed to the door. "Next time you come with the money. I won't see you again before the transfer."

When David stepped out of the backyard, he had come to a decision. He would team up with the police! Castillo had warned him not to involve the police, but he didn't know any other option to save Victoria's life. A plan had matured in his head. He would tell them about Castillo's criminal schemes, Victoria would be freed, and he probably would go back to jail. But it was worth it if he could save her. It was his fault that she has gotten into a situation like that. He had to get her out of it. Convinced of doing the right thing, he headed back to his car.


	19. Surrender

****Somewhere in New York****

"Are you sure it's the right address?" Daniel peeked around after getting out of Nolan's car. "What a gloomy area."

Nolan nodded. "Do you think guys like him choose better areas to do their business?" He gestured along the road. "If my research is correct, then Castillo's hiding place is in a backyard, not far from here."

"I admire your investigative skills." Daniel raised his eyebrows. "How did you figure out who it was?"

"I went along with Emily's theory that Conrad's kidnappers may have something to do with the jet crash," Nolan replied patiently. "And David's reaction to the blackmailing letter underpinned my suspicion that these men might have something to do with the abduction of your mother. The guy is no stranger to the underground scene. When Emily mentioned the name, I knew right away who it was. Finding the address wasn't difficult."

"But you're not sure that Castillo really had kidnapped my mother?" Daniel asked, frowning.

"No," Nolan admitted, sighing. "I'm not 100 percent sure, but that's the most plausible explanation at the moment. And I follow this track now."

"We," Daniel corrected.

Nolan's mouth twitched. "It would have been better if you had stayed at home. These men are dangerous."

"Blablabla..." He rolled his eyes. "Tell me something new. I can't count how many times Emily and Charlotte had told me the same."

"And they are absolutely right." Nolan nodded. "I'm going in alone. You're waiting here! Did you understand that?"

"Why should it be safer for you than for me?" Daniel wanted to know.

"Because you're well known in the public eye," Nolan replied. "Everyone in this city knows who Daniel Grayson is. If you walk in there, they will take you prisoner just as they did with your mother."

"If they're the kidnappers," Daniel said.

"I'm pretty sure about that. And you know I'm rarely mistaken." Nolan raised his eyebrows, then he gave Daniel the car keys. "You're waiting in the car. If something goes wrong, we have to leave quickly."

"What are you up to?" Daniel asked curiously.

"I'm going in now and impersonate as a client. When I'm inside I'll try to get information. Of course in a subtle way. They must not know why I'm really there."

"Okay." Not really convinced by the idea, Daniel opened the car door and sat down on the driver's seat. "I'm staying in the car. How long should I wait?"

Nolan sat down next to him. "I think if I'm not back in half an hour, something went wrong."

"Very comforting to know." Daniel rolled his eyes ironically. "And then what?"

"Then..." Nolan opened the glove compartment. "Then maybe you'll need this." He pointed to the gun that was inside the compartment. "However, only for emergencies, for self-defense. If I don't come back, call the police." He saw Daniel raising a hand. "Yes, I know what was written in the blackmailing letter. But we have to inform them about it anyhow, whether or not I succeed. I'm pretty sure they won't harm Victoria as long as they don't have the money. If they kill her now, they won't get nothing. But once we know where she is, we are one step ahead of them and can make the job easier for the police."

"Well then, good luck!"

Nolan nodded and got out of the car. "Yes, I wish that, too," he muttered as he set out for Castillo's hideout with a feeling of unease in his stomach.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

"I can't bear it any longer!" Emily was running nervously back and forth in the living room, with her arms wrapped around her middle. "How long have they been gone?"

Charlotte looked at the clock. "Not quite two hours. But don't forget that they had to drive there first. So you have to deduct the driving time."

"However, it was a stupid idea." She shook her head. "We shouldn't have let them drive alone."

"I trust Nolan," Charlotte said firmly. "He wouldn't do anything to put them at risk."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Don't be naive, Charlotte! Of course it's risky. If the kidnappers find out why they really came, they might be kidnapped as well." She pulled her cell phone out of her pants pocket. "I'm calling the police!"

"No!" Charlotte took Emily's cell phone. " _No police_ was written in the blackmailing letter. And we both promised them that we would wait."

"And for how long are we going to wait?" Emily said desperately. "We wouldn't even know if something went wrong."

Charlotte looked at her uneasy. Emily was right. If something had gone wrong and Daniel and Nolan were also in the hands of the kidnappers, they wouldn't even know. "Don't get upset, okay? Think about the baby." She put her arm around Emily's shoulders. "Nothing bad will happen." She led her to the sofa and then sat next to her. "Let's just wait a little longer. They'll call us soon."

Emily leaned her head exhausted against Charlotte's shoulder. "Yes, let's wait a little longer," she muttered, hoping her sister was right and nothing bad had happened to Daniel and Nolan.

 ** **Southampton Police Department, New York****

With firm steps, David entered the police department and went straight to the counter, where a police officer was standing behind it. "My name is David Clarke," he introduced himself to the officer, "I'm here because I want to report a crime, and I'm also ready to make a statement."

"Just a moment, please." The officer frowned and cast him a skeptical look. "I'll tell one of my colleagues. If you would sit down for a minute."

David nodded and sat down on a free chair just in front of the counter. It was the right decision, he tried to suggest himself. He couldn't allow that Victoria got hurt. He simply loved her too much. And even though his heroic act would probably take him back into jail, there was now no way back.

"Mr. Clarke?"

He stood up as two uniformed officers approached him. "As I told your colleague, I'm ready to make a statement."

"Please, follow us." The officers went ahead and led him into an interrogation room. "Sit down and start all over again."

And David told the officers how everything had started. How Conrad had betrayed and framed him, and had put the blame on him for the terrorist act on flight 197, which had brought him innocently behind bars. He confessed that he had wanted to take revenge on Conrad for that and that he had hired people to abduct him and to bring him to a safe place. He also explained to the officers his exact plan how he had wanted to continue after the kidnapping and why he had escaped after they had found Conrad's hiding place. And then he mentioned Castillo and his involvement in the jet crash and that he had kidnapped Victoria Grayson.

"It's really an unbelievable story you just told us," one of the officers said, looking at his colleague who was about to record it all. "Do you have everything on tape?"

The officer nodded. "If this is all true what you claim, then I don't understand why you voluntarily surrender to the police." He looked at David thoughtfully. "You know, you also made yourself liable to persecution by giving the order to kidnap Mr. Grayson?"

David nodded and lowered his head. "Yes, I'm aware of that. But I'd do anything to save Mrs. Grayson's life."

The officer who had recorded the conversation rose. "I think that's enough for now. You have the address of Castillo's hiding place?"

"Yes, I was there. I can show you the place." David jumped up, but the officer held him back.

"By no means! You stay here. As long as we haven't checked, if everything is true what you told us, you remain in custody."

David nodded and stretched out his arms. "Please, handcuff me. I won't offer resistance."

"That won't be necessary," interposed the other officer. "You came to us of your free will and showed yourself cooperative. We only use handcuffs at the risk of an escape. I don't think it's necessary in your case."

"Do you have a notepad and a pen?" David asked.

"What do you want that for?" The officer looked at him confused.

"I'll write down the address. If you have overpowered Castillo and his men, you can also free Mrs. Grayson."

"It's a good thing that you are so cooperative," the other officer said. "But you don't have to tell us how to do our job." He took out a piece of paper and a pen, which he handed David. "And now come along," he ordered, after he had received the address. "We'll take you to a place where you can stay until everything is done."

David followed the officers willingly and entered a room more spacious than a normal prison cell. As the door slammed shut and was locked from outside, he realized the extent of his heroic act. Would he ever get out of here again, he asked himself, or had he sealed his own fate with his candidness? Groaning, he went over to the only seat in the room and buried his face in his hands.

 ** **Suffolk County Memorial Hospital****

 ** **A few hours later****

Nolan sat, with his arm in a sling and his head bandaged, in his hospital bed, waiting impatiently for someone, who would tell him what had happened in the past few hours. He couldn't remember anything, because one of Castillo's men had hit him on his head with a club just after he had entered. As if they had been waiting for him. He had passed out and only had woken up again in the ambulance. His injuries were not very severe; just a dislocated shoulder and a concussion. It could have been worse. But he worried lesser about himself than about Daniel, whom he had seen the last time when they had said goodbye at his car. What had happened after that? He sat up straighter as the door opened and a doctor entered the room.

"How do you feel?" The doctor asked routinely, looking at the patient's file.

"Not bad, I think." Nolan touched his head bandage. "I think I was pretty lucky." He frowned. "But I can't remember anything at all."

"This is normal in the case of a head injury," the doctor said. "The police were here to ask you questions. But I said you still need rest."

"Do you know something about Daniel Grayson?" Nolan asked the doctor. "I went with him to the hideout. When I was hit, I passed out. I didn't see him after that."

The doctor cleared his throat. "He was also hospitalized," he said curtly.

"What's wrong with him?" Nolan asked worried.

"I can't tell you," the doctor said. "The medical confidentiality forbids it."

"Please, make an exception," Nolan begged. "He is a friend of mine. If he was hurt, it's my fault. I have persuaded him to come along with me."

The doctor cast him a thoughtful glance. "I can't tell you in detail," he said reluctantly. "Your friend was shot and is still in surgery."

"What are you saying?" Nolan looked at him horrified. "He was shot... but how...?" He stammered.

"I told you I can't give you further details. And now excuse me, please. I've got to go to another patient." He gave Nolan a compassionate look, then left the room.

Nolan sat there, stunned, while questions were swirling in his head. Why had Daniel been shot? And how serious were his injuries? Would he survive? He thought of Emily and how happy she had been about the two getting together again. And he thought of Julian and the unborn child that possibly would never get to know his father. And all this because he was so stupid to think he could go against these criminals alone. He pressed the red call button and waited until a nurse entered the room.

"I need a phone," he said determined, pushing the blanket back. "And after that, please tell the police that I'm ready for a questioning." If the doctor was not willing to tell him what had happened, maybe the officers could answer his questions. He just needed to know what happened! He waited impatiently for the nurse to come back with the phone and then started to dial...

 ** **At the kidnapper's hiding place, New York****

Victoria had totally lost track of time. She didn't know if she'd been at the hiding place for hours, days, or even a week. They hadn't removed her blindfold either, so that she was constantly surrounded by complete darkness. They had replaced the chains with ropes, which wasn't much better. But at least they had brought food and something to drink, and occasionally she was allowed to walk around, but only with someone at her side. Although she was glad that she was still alive, she wondered how long she could endure this ordeal. When the door opened, she turned her head in the direction where she heard the noise. "You... promised me, that you would set me... free when my son had paid the... the ransom money," she said in a weak voice before the kidnapper could say a word. But it was a different man that spoke to her. The deep voice was unfamiliar to her.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Grayson. You are safe now. We'll get rid of the blindfold and bonds right away."

She suddenly felt freedom when someone removed the blindfold and ropes. Blinded by the bright light, she squinted and couldn't see anything at first. "Who... who are you?" She stammered.

"We're from the SWAT team," one of the men said. "We're here to rescue you."

Only now did she notice that there were more men in the room. Black-dressed men in heavy uniforms with masks and machine guns. Frightened, she opened her eyes wider. "What... how...?" She stammered, still shocked by the men's appearance.

"Don't worry! We'll explain everything to you later. Now we're taking you to the hospital, for an examination and later to a safe place."

"I... I want to go..." She wanted to say 'home', but she couldn't get any further when one of the man lifted her up and put her on a stretcher. She wanted to defend herself against it, but strong arms held her firm in place that she gave up the fight quickly. Someone, presumably a doctor, gave her an injection, that suddenly made her completely dazed. But despite the drowsiness, she could hear voices that were reaching her ears...

 _"Do you think she knows her husband is dead?"_

 _"I don't think so. She was abducted before the jet was found with the dead body on board."_

 _"If the police didn't get the tip from this guy, who knows what the kidnappers had done with her."_

 _"She was very lucky that she was found so quickly. Just a little longer and she would have died of hunger or exhaustion."_

 _"Yes, poor woman. It will be a shock to her when she learns that her husband is dead and her son was shot down."_

 _"Why do these new riches always have to play the heroes? He should have left the job to some competent men from the SWAT team."_

 _"He had."_

 _"Yes, unfortunately it was too late..."_

The pain about what she had just heard was too great. Helpless and unable to move, tears rolled down her cheeks before she gave up the struggle to stay awake and escaped into the redeeming darkness...


	20. Rescue

**Suffolk County Memorial Hospital**

Informed by the police that Victoria had been freed and Nolan and Daniel had been injured while the kidnapper was arrested, Emily and Charlotte had rushed to the hospital straight away, where they now waited impatiently for news from the doctor.

"Go to your mother," Emily said, watching Charlotte pacing nervously back and forth along the hall. "I know you want to see her. And Daniel is still in the OR anyway. Who knows how long that will take?"

"Are you sure?" Charlotte looked at her skeptically. "I don't want to leave you alone now."

"That's fine. Just go. I'm just waiting here." Emily sat down in a chair.

"Thanks!" Charlotte sympathetically squeezed Emily's shoulder and then ran quickly towards the elevator to go to the ward where her mother had her room.

Emily leaned back and closed her eyes. She was not as strong as she had made Charlotte believe. When the officers told her that Daniel had been shot, she had feared for a moment to get a panic attack. She suddenly had remembered the scene when Aiden had shot Daniel down. So much blood, and then the fear that he might die! Everything had surfaced again all of a sudden, and she had felt dizzy and sick. Only with difficulty could she manage to hide her condition from the officers. Only Charlotte had known how she felt. And now she was sitting here feeling helpless because she couldn't do nothing but wait. Gently, she put her hands on her belly and suddenly noticed tears running down her cheeks.

"Mrs. Grayson?"

Someone cleared his throat, and she jumped up, startled. It was the doctor who eyed her with a worried look. "How... how is my husband?" She asked in a muffled voice, while she felt her heart beating faster in fearful anticipation.

"The good news is that he's out of danger," the doctor replied "He had lost a lot of blood because the bullet had hit a larger blood vessel on his leg. Therefore, the surgery took longer than expected. We first had to control the bleeding and then remove the bullet that was still in his thigh." He saw Emily slightly swaying and grabbed her arm. "Everything okay? It's better you sit down again." He pushed her back onto the chair.

"Yes, I... I just imagined the whole thing..." She looked at the doctor, anxiously. "Will he fully recover?"

The doctor nodded and smiled for the first time. "Yes, he will make a complete recovery. Fortunately, he was found in time, so that he could get medical treatment immediately. He really had a guardian angel."

 _For the second time_ , she thought. Back on Rebun Island and now again. "Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded. "He will stay in the intensive care unit for the next 24 hours. At the moment he is still very weak from the surgery procedure and sleeps most of the time. So it may be that he's not awake when you go inside."

"I don't care. I just want to see him for one minute." She rose again and followed the doctor until they reached the intensive care unit.

The doctor opened a door and let her enter. At Daniel's sight, pale and hooked up to an IV drip, she felt relief and horror at the same time. Carefully, she approached her sleeping husband and gently ran with her fingers through his thick, dark hair as she fought to hold back her tears. She was immensely relieved that he survived. She didn't know how she would have lived without him if he had died. Tears trickled off her cheeks as she leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. "I love you," she whispered softly and then straightened up again. "I'll be back soon." She caressed his cheek one more time before she left the room.

 **At the same time**

Charlotte entered her mother's hospital room and then stood in the doorway for a moment as their eyes met.

"Charlotte!" Victoria burst in tears when she spotted her daughter, and spread her arms. "Come to me!"

"Mom..." Even Charlotte could no longer hold back tears when she walked over to the bed and put her arms around her mother. "I'm so happy that nothing bad happened to you!" She sobbed as she hugged her tightly.

For a while, they remained in that position, doing nothing but hugging and crying with each other, but then Charlotte pulled away. "You... you know that..." She stopped mid-sentence and lowered her head because she was suddenly not sure how to come up with the subject of her father and Daniel.

Victoria wiped the tears off her face and nodded. "You mean the jet-crash? Yes, I know about it and that your father was killed," she said in a faint voice. She grabbed Charlotte's hand and squeezed it. "But there is something else. Before I passed out I heard the men from the ambulance service talking about Daniel..." She looked at her daughter pleadingly. "Was he injured? If you know something, please tell me!"

Charlotte shook her head regretfully. "I don't know any more than you do. All I know is that he was shot trying to expose the kidnapper. I don't know how serious his injuries are. He is still in surgery. Emily wanted to wait for the doctor. Maybe we'll know more soon."

Victoria nodded tiredly. "I don't know how I should endure to lose him," she said desperately.

"He'll get well again," Charlotte tried to comfort her mother. "He's a fighter."

Victoria's mouth twitched slightly. "You said Emily is at the hospital, too. What is she doing here?"

Charlotte realized that her mother didn't know about the latest incidents. It was time to enlighten her. She cleared her throat. "A lot has happened since you... since you were abducted," she began hesitantly. "First of all, Emily is back now and doesn't intend to leave the Hamptons again. Secondly, she and Daniel are together again, and thirdly..." She took a deep breath before she continued..." You will become a grandmother and I an aunt again soon."

Victoria's eyes widened in surprise. "Emily is expecting again?" She exclaimed in disbelief.

Charlotte nodded, smiling. "She has known for a few weeks. But she didn't dare to tell Daniel. But then we learned about the jet crash and your kidnapping. The common concern brought the two of them together again." She saw her mother frowning. "I know you would have preferred them to stay separate, but they just belong together."

Victoria's mouth twisted in a wistful smile. "Then your father's last wish has come true," she said quietly.

Charlotte looked at her in surprise. "He wanted Emily and Daniel to become a couple again?"

Victoria shrugged. "I don't know why, but he liked Emily. Maybe because she saved his life back then."

"Speaking of 'saving lives'..." Charlotte began hesitantly. "That you were found and saved was David's credit." She cleared her throat. "The men who kidnapped you were the same ones who had kidnapped Dad. And David knew that because he had been responsible for Dad's kidnapping."

"David is back?" Victoria gasped in disbelief as she felt her heart beat faster in joyful excitement.

Charlotte nodded. "Without him you would still be in the hands of these men."

"Where is he now?" She asked excitedly.

Charlotte lowered her head. "In jail," she confessed softly. "He surrendered himself to the police after he had told them everything."

Determined, Victoria pushed her blanket back. "I have to see him! I won't let them imprison him again!"

"He'll just be in temporary custody until they checked that his story was correct," Charlotte said reassuringly, pushing the blanket back. "I'm firmly convinced that they will release him afterwards."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No, not me, but Emily. She is David's next of kin. He was allowed to call her, and then he told her everything. She will also see to it that they set him free again."

"I'd like to see him anyway," Victoria said firmly. "He saved my life after all."

"We'll visit him together, but first of all you have to regain your strength." Charlotte straightened up. "Is it okay for you that I go and look for Emily? I just left her alone just because I wanted to know how you are."

Victoria nodded. "Could you inform me when you have news about Daniel?" She asked.

"Of course." Charlotte leaned forward and kissed her mother's cheek. "I'll come back later," she promised, then left the hospital room, looking for Emily.

 **At another ward**

Emily entered Nolan's hospital room and approached him with a forced smile. "Hi!" She bent forward and hugged him.

"Ems!" He gave her a quick squeeze and then looked at her with a worried expression on his face. "Do you know something about Daniel?"

Emily nodded. "Yes, I saw him earlier. He is still in intensive care. But he will get well again."

"What happened?"

"You don't know?" Emily asked, astonished. "But I thought the two of you were together the whole time."

Nolan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We went to Castillo's hideout together," he explained. "But then I decided to go in there alone. I didn't want to endanger Daniel unnecessarily. So I asked him to wait in the car." He raised his head and looked at Emily with a serious look. "I learned from the doctor that he was shot. But I have no idea how that could've happened."

"He was shot in the leg." Emily shrugged. "I don't know any details either." She pointed to his sling and the bandage around his head. "What did they do to you?"

"They knocked me out." He laughed bitterly. "After that, I can't remember anything. Once in a lifetime I wanted to play a hero and that's the result." He rolled his eyes. "And I put Daniel in unnecessary danger."

"The police didn't tell me much. I hope that when Daniel is awake, we will learn more."

"It's my fault," Nolan confessed. "I never should have shown him the gun."

Emily looked at him puzzled. "What gun?"

"The one I had in my glove compartment." He cleared his throat. "Before I left, I told Daniel that he should use it in case of an emergency. But I didn't want him to really use it. Or rather, I didn't expect such an emergency case."

"Don't blame yourself." Emily put her hand on his good arm. "You just wanted to help him. You couldn't have guessed that he would use it "

"Do you think I should visit him?" He asked her hesitantly.

"Not yet." Emily shook her head. "He is still too weak and is sleeping most of the time. Tomorrow or the day after that he should be transferred to the normal station. Then you can visit him."

"I hope he gets well again," Nolan said softly. "I think I could never forgive myself if his injuries leave lasting damage behind."

"It won't. According to the doctor, he will make a complete recovery." She squeezed his arm again and straightened up. "I'm going to visit you later. Now I have to look for Charlotte. She wanted to see her mother. "

Nolan looked at her perplexed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Victoria was freed," Emily told him. "They overpowered and arrested the kidnappers. Then they found the hiding place where they held Victoria imprisoned and freed her."

"Well, thank God." Nolan breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it wasn't a complete waste. Is she okay?"

Emily grimaced. "I never would have thought you would care about Victoria's health." She got serious again. "Yes, she's fine. They didn't torture or hurt her. She was in shock and completely exhausted."

"All's well that ends well." Nolan forced a smile.

"Not quite." She lowered her head. "My dad is in jail," she confessed hesitantly.

"What?!" Nolan exclaimed in disbelief. "Why, for what reason?"

"He surrendered to the police after telling them about Castillo's whereabouts," she told him. "And he confessed much more to them than that."

"What exactly?" Nolan pried.

"Everything." She shrugged resignedly. "That Conrad had framed him, that he had been innocently arrested because of him and that he wanted to take revenge and had him kidnapped."

"Oh no..." Groaning, Nolan wiped his face. "Is he tired of life? Doesn't he know that the duration of prison time is 10 years for kidnapping? Maybe more, considering the fact that Conrad Grayson was a well known person."

Emily nodded hesitantly. "He knows all this. And yet he doesn't regret his decision. Perhaps it will have a beneficial effect that he helped the police to arrest Castillo and his men."

"Maybe," Nolan said doubtfully. "But he certainly won't get away without retribution."

"He did what he had to do," she said softly.

"Did he say that?"

Emily nodded. "He was tired of running away. Victoria's kidnapping was a great opportunity for him to finally come clean with everything."

"Can I visit him?"

"I guess so. You should ask the police." She went to the door. "I'm going to Charlotte now and then to Daniel, too. How long will you have to stay here? "

"I think they will release me tomorrow morning." He shrugged. "I have almost no headaches anymore, and the shoulder just needs rest. They put it back, nothing else. I can get rest at home, too." He suddenly remembered something. "Can you tell Julia what happened?"

"Already done." Emily smiled. "She and Jill are at Grayson Manor now, looking out for Julian. When I told her what happened, she wanted to go with me, but I asked her to stay at the manor and to watch Julian. I didn't have anyone else."

Nolan nodded. "Now go and see Charlotte. I'm not running away." He gazed after her with a thoughtful look as she left the hospital room.


	21. Disclosure

**Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

When Emily and Charlotte entered the house in the evening, they were greeted by Julia, who had been waiting for them in the living room. Emily introduced her and Charlotte to each other because they hadn't met in person yet, and then she reported to her on the day's events.

"I'm so glad Nolan feels better," Julia said after Emily had told her everything. "When will he be released?"

"He thinks tomorrow, but the doctors should decide that. If you want, you can stay here as long as you want. The house is way too big at the moment anyway." She looked quickly at Charlotte. "Of course, only if you agree with that?"

Charlotte nodded eagerly. "Of course you're welcome to stay," she said to Julia. "I can also babysit for you if you like," she offered her service.

"She's a good babysitter," Emily added, smiling. "She has been taking care of Carl and Julian so many times."

"Carl?" Julia looked at her questioningly.

"Amanda's little son," Charlotte explained, then shook her head. "I mean, Emily, the fake Amanda..." She stopped and groaned. "Oh man, that's so complicated."

"I understand," Julia came to her aid. "Emily told me all about it." She looked quickly at her friend, who had suddenly become quiet. "You better go to bed now and sleep for a while," she said worriedly. "I'll take care of Julian when he wakes up in the night."

"I probably won't sleep anyway. I'm too nervous." Emily wiped her eyes. "Daniel was still not awake when I visited him a second time. But the doctor said that's normal. He's still too weak."

"The main thing is that he survived," Charlotte said. "Everything else will bring the time."

"When's your father's funeral ceremony?" Emily asked all of a sudden.

"In a week. Daniel and I gave the order to cremate the body," Charlotte said matter-of-factly. "It's good that Mom can be there then."

Emily put an arm around Charlotte's shoulder. "You don't have to go through this alone. I'm here for you."

"I know." Charlotte bravely swallowed the tears that suddenly arose. "Do you think Daniel will be out of the hospital by then?"

"I don't know." Emily frowned. "But maybe they can release him for a few hours, so he can at least attend the funeral."

"Yes, that would be good." Charlotte nodded. "Are you planning to visit David in jail?" She suddenly changed the subject.

Emily nodded. "He sacrificed his life for your mother. I have to help him to get out of jail."

"My mother said the same thing," Charlotte confessed. "I told her everything, and she wanted to go to him right away. I think she still loves him."

"Yeah, I think so too." Emily ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "I'm going to the jailhouse first thing in the morning. Maybe then I will learn more."

"Can I come with you?" Charlotte begged.

Emily looked at her for a moment with a thoughtful look and then nodded. "Yes, why not. He is your father, too. And maybe it makes a good impression to the officials when they see that we support him."

"And I take care of Julian," Julia interjected.

"That would be great." Emily looked at her gratefully. "I will return the favor another time."

"That's not necessary," Julia said smiling. "I'd love to do that."

Emily suppressed a yawn, which Charlotte noticed immediately. "Julia is right. You belong to bed. You need strength to get through the next few days. Too much stress isn't good for the baby."

 _The baby!_ Reflexively, Emily's hand went to her belly. She hadn't thought about the baby for hours. So many things had crashed down on her that she didn't have the time to concentrate on the baby as well. But Charlotte was right. She should take it easy if she didn't want to suffer a miscarriage. The doctor at the hospital in Cleveland had made that very clear. "Fine." She nodded. "I'll go up and lie down and try to sleep a bit." It was not until she was in the bedroom a few minutes later that she realized how tired she really was. She just stripped off her pants and then lay down, still wearing shirt and underwear, and pulled the blanket over her. It didn't take long for her to fall into a dreamless sleep.

 **Southampton Town Police Jail, Hamptons**

 **The next morning**

Emily wished she could use her real ID when she entered the jailhouse. It probably would have been easier to get a visitor badge as 'Amanda Clarke'. But to her great astonishment, it was no problem for her and Charlotte to get visitation rights, which was probably because Charlotte was well known. Now they were both sitting in an interrogation room, waiting for David. When he was brought into the room, handcuffed, Emily felt her stomach tighten. "Is this necessary?" She turned to the prison guard and pointed to the handcuffs.

The officer shrugged. "It's a measure for his own and your safety," he said curtly.

"Can we talk alone, in private?"

The officer frowned, then nodded. "You have 15 minutes. Not a minute longer," he said, then shoved David over to a chair. "And no antics! There's no privacy here." He pointed to the surveillance camera, which was attached to the ceiling and recorded every movement.

"Can you remove the handcuffs?" Charlotte looked at the officer with imploring eyes. "Please! He won't do us any harm."

Reluctantly, the man pulled out a bunch of keys and freed David from the cuffs. Then he left the room hurriedly.

Sighing, Emily settled in one of the chairs and reached across the table for David's hands. "They treat you like a felon!" She said indignantly, frowning. "They owe it to you that Castillo got arrested."

"They treat them all the same," David said, forcing a smile. "Don't worry. They handcuff you only when you leave the cell. I can move freely within my room."

"It's just not fair!" Charlotte burst out abruptly. "They should treat you like a hero and not put you in jail!"

He leaned forward and gently wiped a long strand of hair from her face. "You are as beautiful as your mother," he said softly and then looked up at her. "Is there any news about Victoria?"

Charlotte nodded. "Thanks to you, the police could free her." She smiled. "She's fine so far. She still has to stay at the hospital for a few more days, but she wasn't physically harmed. She just has to process the mental shock first."

"I already said to Aman- Emily, I'm sorry that your father died." He looked at her urgently. "And I really mean that honestly."

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, I believe you," she said softly. "You were not responsible for the jet crash. That was Castillo and his men."

"I'm glad this is resolved, even though he claimed he had nothing to do with it."

"It was him," Charlotte reiterated. "He was just afraid that he would be held responsible for two crimes, kidnapping _and_ murder. And now he's going of have a life sentence."

"Charlotte is right." Emily had been barely listening to the conversation. She had been busy with her own thoughts. "They can't hold you like a dangerous criminal." She pushed her chair back, got up, and walked to the door and knocked while two confused pairs of eyes followed her.

"What are you doing?" David asked perplexed.

"I'll get you out of here." When the door opened, she hurried out of the room and waited for the officer to close the door again. "I would like to speak to the person in charge who ordered David Clarke's arrest," she said determined.

"And who are you that you believe to request that?"

She took a deep breath before answering the question. "I'm Amanda, David Clarke's daughter."

 **Suffolk County Memorial Hospital**

 **A few hours later**

Daniel had been immensely relieved when the doctors told him in the morning that he could be transferred to the normal ward. The surgery had gone well, and there had been no bleeding or complications, so now the actual recovery could begin. As relieved as he was that he had survived the shot, he was so annoyed that he now had to sit in a wheelchair and walk on crutches for the next few weeks, until his complete recovery. He hoped that Emily would visit soon. He had learned from the doctors that she had visited him twice in the intensive care unit. But he had been sleeping both times, that he hadn't noticed her. He worried about her and wondered if the worry for him and all the stress would have an effect on the baby. To distract himself from his glum and negative thoughts, he reached for the remote control and switched on the TV. After zapping through the channels, he finally got stuck at a news channel.

 _'...was released after his daughter Amanda made an official statement that the arrested alleged criminal had been innocently imprisoned for a crime he had never committed. As it became known, the recently deceased industrial magnet Conrad Grayson was responsible for the terrorist attack on flight 197, where 247 people were killed in 1993. Furthermore, the young woman who had changed her name because of this incident to Emily Thorne, stated that her father, David Clarke...'_

Daniel had heard enough. He turned off the TV and pressed the call button. Immediately a nurse appeared.

"You called?" She looked at him questioningly.

"Yes." He ran in a nervous gesture through his hair. "Can you call a doctor, please," he said curtly.

The nurse looked at him worriedly. "Do you want a stronger analgesic, or do you have any other physical symptoms?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, I want to see the doctor to sign my discharge papers."

"Your discharge papers?" She echoed, confused. "But Mr. Grayson, you were just transferred from ICU to the normal ward this morning. You are not in the state of health to leave the hospital," she said.

"Do you have the medical know-how to decide that?"

"No, I... no, but I don't think that...," she started, but she was interrupted before she could finish the sentence.

His patience was exhausted. "Don't think, get the doctor!" He snapped at her.

Intimidated, she winced. "Yes, Mr. Grayson... I'll get him... right away."

Groaning he collapsed into his bed sheets again. He had to get out of here to find out what other things Emily had divulged to the police. He just couldn't believe that she had actually gone public and leaked her true identity. And apparently, not only had she blabbed that, but also her father's involvement in the attack on flight 197. Had she even thought for a second about what that meant for his mother, Charlotte and him who would be now in the focus of public attention? He had to stop her before she could reveal more things that should better remain a secret forever! When the doctor came in, he sat up straight and met him with a steady gaze.

"The nurse told me why you wanted to talk to me," the doctor came straight to the point. "Am I right in assuming it has something to do with your wife's declaration to the press?"

Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know about that?"

"Every TV and radio station reports about it." The doctor cleared his throat. "If you allow me an opinion, I advise you to stay here until the waves have settled. You are also far too weak to be released from the hospital yet."

"She had publicly accused my father of murder!" Daniel blurted out. "And he isn't even buried yet!"

"I can understand that this must be a shock for you. But you still need a lot of rest and... "

"To hell with rest!" Daniel blurted out angrily and threw back the blanket. "I can relax at home too. And if it makes you feel better, then I'll get a nurse and a doctor to take care of me at home."

"All right. I see I can't hinder you to leave," the doctor said and took a notepad. "I'm signing the discharge papers. However, at your own request and your own risk," he emphasized. "Do you have someone who could pick you up?"

Daniel nodded after a moment's thought. "Yes, I'll call my sister." When the doctor had left the hospital room, he reached for his cell phone and dialed Charlotte's number.

 **Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

"What did you do?" Charlotte switched off the TV and looked over at Emily, who was staring motionlessly at a point in the corner. "Emily, do you hear me?" She gently touched her arm.

"I... I had no choice," she said in a monotone voice. "I couldn't let them lock him up for years again."

"And there was no other solution than to reveal to the world that you are Amanda Clarke and that my father killed hundreds of innocent people?"

Emily guiltily lowered her head. "I just didn't see any other way out," she confessed desperately. "They never would have believed him. And I thought now that Conrad is... dead, they can't hold him responsible anymore."

"And what about my mother, or Daniel or me? We are still alive. And now we have to live with the mockery and hostility."

"I'm sorry!" Emily gestured helplessly with her arms. "I never meant to hurt you, Daniel or even your mother. But I just had to tell the truth, so that my father could finally be free. Can't you understand that?"

Charlotte looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I think I understand it. But I have doubts whether Daniel or my mother will take your decision lightly."

"Maybe not yet." She got up from the sofa. "I'll drive to the hospital and talk to Daniel. I have to explain to him why I did it. Just like I explained it to you."

Charlotte was distracted for a moment as her phone buzzed. "Wait a minute. Someone is calling," she said, answering the phone call. She listened with bated breath and then hung up quickly. "You can save the visit to the hospital," she said hesitantly. "Daniel is coming home."


	22. Forgiveness

**On the road**

Charlotte couldn't remember when she had seen her brother so mad the last time. On the way to the Manor, he was ranting and cursing all the time, never missing an opportunity to blame Emily for everything. And though she could partly understand his anger, she couldn't let the two argue again until they broke up once more. Not after they found each other again.

"They wanted to arrest him for something he hadn't done," she came to Emily's defense as she tried to concentrate on the road traffic around her.

"That's no reason for dragging our family through the dirt," he countered fiercely.

"Our family?" Charlotte gave him an indignant look. "She is just as much a part of this family. You seem to forget that."

"But in this case, blood is thicker than water. She prefers to save her father rather than worry about our reputation."

"You should have seen how they treated him." Charlotte remembered, shuddering, when she thought about the handcuffs and rough treatment he had received. "If she had known a different way than to come out with the truth, she would have decided differently. But she reacted spontaneously."

Daniel frowned at her. "It sounds like you're on her side."

"I try to stay neutral," Charlotte defended her decision. "I'm as much a Grayson as I'm a Clarke. David is my dad, too."

"Don't remind me." Daniel rolled his eyes. "Nevertheless, I would have expected a bit more loyalty from you towards Mom and Dad."

"Loyalty in this case means that I should cover up Dad's crimes?" She gripped the steering wheel tighter as she felt rage boiling up. Daniel was just like her father. Always eager to keep the name Grayson clean, no matter what they did.

"You are such a hypocrite sometimes, Daniel!" She said abruptly and steered the car to the side of the road and stopped. Angrily, she looked at him. "You know it's true, right? Dad was responsible for the terrorist attack on the plane. And it's also true that he put the blame on David. The man had been innocently imprisoned for years. And now they wanted to put him back to jail, even though he had done nothing."

"And what about the jet crash and Dad's kidnapping back then?"

"The kidnappers were responsible for the jet-crash, and giving order to abduct Dad had been a desperate act. He never wanted to do anything bad to him. He just wanted him to disappear, so he could have a second chance with Mom."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No, Emily. He told her and then she told me. And I can't see a reason why he should lie."

"Yes, why?" Daniel laughed sarcastically. "Because he had always been so honest about other things in the past."

"He saved Mom by turning himself in," Charlotte pointed out. "Isn't that proof enough that he means it honestly?"

Daniel frowned. "What's Mom's opinion about that? You must have talked to her about it."

Charlotte nodded. "She thinks the same way as Emily and me. She considers him innocent and even wanted to go to jail personally to get him out of there."

"She apparently really loves him," Daniel said thoughtfully. He pointed to the street. "Are we going on now or do you want to take root here?"

She gave him a skeptical look. "Did you calm down a bit?"

He nodded hesitantly. "Mom, you, Emily... Seems like I'm overruled when it comes to David Clarke."

A smile crossed Charlotte's face. "Looks like it."

"Where does he live now?" He inquired curiously. "Don't tell me you let him stay at the manor."

Charlotte bit her lower lip. "He's at the beach house." She saw him open his mouth to argue and continued speaking quickly. "Only until he finds something else." She started the engine and drove the car back onto the road. "There's something else I want to tell you..."

"What, that wasn't all?" He rolled his eyes ironically. "I hope it's something good. I can use positive news."

"Promise me that you're not arguing with Emily," she said hesitantly.

"Why should I argue with her?" He asked, frowning.

"Because you were shouting and screaming half an hour ago and blaming her for everything." She raised her eyebrows meaningfully. "It's not Emily's fault. She only did what you had asked her to do."

"Me?" He looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "You wanted her to be honest and telling the truth from now on. And she did exactly that."

"It would have been nice if she had informed me of her intentions beforehand. But now it's too late anyway. So don't worry, I won't yell at her or blame her for what happened. Are you satisfied?" He looked expectantly at Charlotte and smiled as she nodded.

Without further delay, they finally arrived at the Manor, Charlotte helping her brother out of the car. "Are you sure you can manage it on your own?" She asked worriedly as she watched him hobbling on crutches towards the door.

"Yes, I can manage myself. I just need some more practice with the crutches, but it's still better than sitting in a wheelchair."

It was all quiet in the house when they entered. Charlotte pointed upstairs. "Before I left, I told Emily to lie down a bit. She's probably upstairs in the bedroom waiting for you there." She looked doubtfully at his crutches. "Should I maybe help you?"

"And then we both fall down the stairs?" He shook his head. "I'll do it alone." But it turned out that it was more difficult to go up the stairs with crutches than expected. Bathed in sweat and panting, he reached the upper floor and opened the door to the bedroom. There she lay, still fully clothed on the blanket, her eyes closed. She had apparently really been waiting for him and then had fallen asleep. At least that explained why she was not under the blanket. As he sat down carefully on the bed, she suddenly opened her eyes.

"Daniel!" She sat up abruptly. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, before he could say a word. "I want to explain to you why I did it..."

"Shhh..." he murmured softly and put a finger on her lips. "Let's not talk about it now."

She pushed his hand aside and ignored his objection. "I know you're mad at me and wonder about how I could do that..." Again he silenced her by placing his hand on her mouth. She saw no other way than to wriggle out of his grip and jump up. "You have to listen to me now!" She said urgently and nervously ran a hand through her hair. "We have to sort this out, before..."

"It's all cleared up," he interrupted her and grabbed her arm. "Come here!" He pulled her close. "Life is too short to bother with trivialities."

Confused, she looked at him and then followed his request and sat back down on the bed. "Does that mean that you have forgiven me? But I don't understand why..."

He stifled another word by quickly pressing his mouth to hers and pulling her closer. "You talk too much..." he murmured against her lips as he sank with her onto the blanket.

She knew that sex was not possible in his state of health, but she enjoyed the closeness and his caresses and was glad that he was back with her. All the worries she had had before her first meeting with him after her public statement vanished into thin air, and she snuggled up to him, forgetting everything around her.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 ** **The next morning****

Emily made sure that Daniel was still fast asleep, before she got up, got dressed and slipped out of the house to run to the beach house. She went up the stairs to the porch, looked through the windows, and knocked on the door when she noticed a movement inside.

"Hi!" She said and smiled shyly when her dad opened the door and looked at her in surprise. "May I come in? I know it's still very early, but I wanted to see you."

"Come in!" He opened the door further so she could enter. "You don't have to ask. The house is yours." He pointed to the table. "Would you like a coffee? I just made a fresh one," he offered.

She thought about her pregnant condition and shook her head. "Not for me, thank you." She sat down on a chair and watched with a smile as he poured himself a cup of coffee and then joined her at the table.

"For the first time in a long time, I slept really well and without interruption," he said, taking a sip from his cup. "In jail, they always throw you out of bed at 5 o'clock."

"Those times are over for good," she said with a smile. "You're free."

"Yes, and I owe that to you." He reached across the table for her hand and held it tight. "I can never make up for what you did for me," he said in a hoarse voice. "You gave me a new life. For so many years I was on the run, hiding and living under a false name. And there was always the fear that they could find me and put me back in jail."

"You can now live under your real name and without fear," Emily said, squeezing his hand. "And who knows," she added, giving him a smile. "Maybe you also find a new love."

"Who should take an old man like me?" He said with a mischievous grin.

"You are not old," Emily protested. "And I already know someone." Looking at her in confusion, she helped him get on the right track. "I'm talking about Victoria. She is still in love with you. And I know you just as much as her, otherwise you wouldn't have turned yourself in to save her."

David took another sip from his cup and then set it down again. "Things with Victoria are complicated," he began hesitantly. "She just had lost her husband and needs time to deal with the loss."

"And that's exactly why she needs you more than ever," Emily tried to convince him. "You can help her to get over the loss faster."

"Do you want to pair me up with her?" David asked with an amused smile.

"I want you to be happy," Emily replied genuinely. "You deserve it."

"And what about you?" He frowned at her.

"I'm happy," she said, surprised at his question. "Very happy, in fact."

"No trouble with Daniel?" He asked, glancing at her with a piercing look.

"You mean, if he was angry that I went public with the whole affair?"

He nodded.

"No, he was quite calm about it." She frowned as she remembered how he avoided to discuss the subject. Actually a rather unusual behavior for him, if she thought about it.

"When will Victoria be released from the hospital?" David asked out of the blue.

Emily shrugged. "I think today or tomorrow. Charlotte wants to visit her later and then talk to one of the doctors again." Suddenly a thought flashed through her mind. "Go with her," she suggested. "Charlotte can certainly use your help, and it's a good opportunity for you to talk to Victoria."

David nodded hesitantly. "If you say so," he said doubtfully. "But first ask Charlotte if it's all right for her that I accompany her."

"I will. But I'm sure she won't mind." Her gaze fell on the clock and she was shocked. "Is it already that late? I have to go back. Daniel probably already woke up wondering where I am." She jumped quickly from her chair and noticed how everything blurred in front of her. Unsteady on her feet, she reached for the edge of the table and closed her eyes.

"Amanda? Are you okay?" Concerned, David hurried to her side and propped her up as she swayed slightly.

It was not until she felt she was steady again that she dared to open her eyes again. "It's nothing," she said, taking a few deep breaths. "It's probably just because I haven't eaten yet, and then the hormones..." She saw his confused expression and decided spontaneously that it was time to tell him about her condition. "You're going to be a grandfather," she said with a smile, placing a hand on her barely visible belly. "Daniel and I are expecting a new edition to the family again."

It took him a moment to realize the meaning of her words, but then he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "Oh Amanda, you make me the happiest man in the world!" He said, hugging her. "First, I'll be released from jail, and then I'll learn this wonderful news!"

"Yes, what a stroke of good fortune," Emily said softly. "I finally got my dad back." She eased herself out of his arms. "But now I really have to go. I'll tell Charlotte to pick you up before she drives to the hospital." Happy that everything had taken a turn for the better, Emily left the beach house and went back to the manor.


	23. Home

**Suffolk County Memorial Hospital**

David was nervous when he entered the hospital with Charlotte. It had been months since he had last seen Victoria. And he remembered that they hadn't parted in a good way then. When they reached Victoria's room, he suddenly stopped.

"Go in alone," he said, taking a step back.

"Why's that?" Distraught, Charlotte looked at him. "You came along to see her."

"Yes, I know," he began hesitantly. "But I don't know if she actually wants to see me."

"She asked for you." Charlotte grabbed his arm. "Come on! She will be happy to see you."

"I... I can't..." He pulled away from her and ran off in the other direction.

Confused, Charlotte looked after him. She didn't know what his behavior meant and decided to leave him alone. She had no idea that he was hunted by flashbacks that suddenly made him doubt everything...

 _"Victoria, what happened?"_

 _"The police was here. It seems that someone broke into Conrad's suite at the South Fork Inn. Were you in his suite?"_

 _"Why do you think that?"_

 _"Because you threatened him, and now he's missing, leaving only a bloodstain behind. What did you do to him?"_

 _"But Victoria, how can you believe that I...?"_

 _"Please leave, David! Emily was right. I should never have let you in again. If you did something to Conrad, that's all my fault!"_

 _"You told me you'd lived in a loveless marriage for years, you even wanted to leave him and go with me."_

 _"But I didn't say you should kill him! Tell me the truth, David! Did you just use me to take revenge on Conrad?"_

 _"If you believe that, after what happened between us, maybe it's better to go now."_

And these had been his last words before he left the house and later found Emily and led her to Conrad's dugout. How could he forget their last conversation? He was firmly convinced that she still distrusted him and believed that he had only used her. How had he allowed himself to be influenced by Emily's talk, believing that he and Victoria could have a future together? He had been such a fool! Everything had just been so perfect. Too perfect for a person who had experienced more downsides than happiness in his life. Emily had been right back then, Victoria was better off without him. And while he kept reviewing the last conversation with her, he made a radical decision.

When Charlotte came out of Victoria's room a short time later, she searched in vain for David in the waiting area. Worried and with a bad feeling in her stomach, she went to the nurses' room, where she was greeted immediately.

"What can I help you with?" The nurse asked kindly.

"Did you see a man in his mid-fifties, about 1.75m tall, short brown hair streaked with gray, a beard..."

"Oh yes," the sister interrupted. "A man with this description went to the exit a while ago."

Charlotte's eyes widened in shock. "What? He went to the exit?" She exclaimed in disbelief. "What do you mean 'a while ago', when exactly?"

The nurse looked at the clock. "Well, it was just shift change." She thought for a moment. "Maybe 10-15 minutes ago. Not more than 20," she called after Charlotte, who hadn't listened to her because she was already running towards the exit.

Why had she left him alone? she reproached herself as she ran out of the hospital and frantically searched the parking lot for him. She should have suspected something was wrong when he had refused to enter the hospital room. Where could he have gone? In desperation, she reached for her cell phone and called Emily.

"Did David contact you?" She asked, completely out of breath.

 _"No. Why do you ask? I thought he is with you."_

Charlotte briefly explained what had happened and then waited for Emily's reaction.

 _"He just ran away?"_

"Yes, it seems so. I don't know what possessed him to do that, but he was acting weird before I entered Mom's room. Don't you have any idea where he might have gone? He must have taken a taxi, because my car is still in the parking lot. And he doesn't get far by foot."

 _"What about the airport?"_

"Yes, that's a possibility." Charlotte nodded eagerly. "I'll hang up now and drive to the airport. Maybe I'll catch him in time."

 _"What about your mom?"_

"The doctor is signing the discharge papers," Charlotte said. "Actually, I wanted to pick her up and bring her home."

 _"Then take her along when you drive to the airport. Maybe she can talk to David and convince him to stay if he indeed had plans to leave."_

"Yes, maybe not a bad idea. I'm going and get her. Keep your fingers crossed that it's not too late!" Charlotte ended the telephone call and then went back to pick up her mother and tell her about the latest, less pleasant, incident.

 **J.F. Kennedy International Airport, NY**

"There he is!"

After searching for David at the airport what felt like an eternity, Charlotte and her mother finally found what they were looking for. David was sitting in one of the waiting areas, his head lowered and his eyes closed as if he was sleeping. But as they approached him, he suddenly opened his eyes and stared at them with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Victoria... Charlotte... what... are you doing here?" He stammered, wiping his eyes to make sure he really was not dreaming.

"We were looking for you." Charlotte sat down next to him. "Why did you run away?"

"I... I don't know," he lied, avoiding Victoria's gaze. It pained him bringing up old feelings he should better suppress.

"I was so happy when I learned that you were released from jail," Victoria intervened in the conversation.

"Really?" His head jerked up. "After you told me last time you never wanted to see me again?"

Charlotte looked uncertainly back and forth between David and her mother. _So that had apparently been the reason why he fled_ , she thought. She saw her mother wince and grimace.

"I... I never said that," Victoria stammered. "I was just confused and worried because I thought that Conrad..."

"That I killed him," he interrupted her, and laughed bitterly. "Yes, I already knew that. You really believed that I was capable of murder."

"David, I..." She wrung her hands desperately. "I know now that you have never been able to do that." She looked at him wide-eyed. "Please, forgive me for doubting you!" She pleaded.

"You said it had been a mistake that you ever had gotten involved with me," he repeated her words from back then. "And I've never loved a woman as much as you."

"David, please..." Tears of desperation filled her eyes all of a sudden. "I didn't mean that. I loved you as much as you loved me. You have to believe me." She sat down next to him and looked him deep in his eyes. "Just before Conrad flew to Chicago, I asked him for a divorce," she began hesitantly. "I refused to get on the jet because I didn't want to play the loving wife at the charity. We had a fight and he flew alone..." She stopped and took a deep breath. "Our marriage was long over. Before you had Conrad kidnapped, I was really willing to leave and start a new life with you. That was not a lie." She lowered her head. "But you are right. For a moment, I really believed that you had him killed. And it was those doubts that made me send you away. But I never stopped thinking of you..." She raised her head again and looked at him. "...or loving you," she added softly. "And I want nothing more than that we could start all over again."

Charlotte looked quickly at David and waited for his reaction with bated breath. And she shouldn't be disappointed when he suddenly got up, gripped Victoria's hands and pulled her up into his arms. A soft sigh escaped her as she saw the two of them hugging and holding each other tightly in their arms.

"I feel the same way," he said quietly, touching her hair with his lips. "I've never stopped loving you either."

"Now kiss each other that we can get out of here and drive home," Charlotte urged impatiently.

"Yeah, not a bad idea," David mumbled, his eyes on Victoria. "What do you think?"

Instead of an answer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer until their lips met.

"Finally!" Charlotte grinned satisfied. "That was about time." She waited until the two had finished their smooching and then pointed towards the exit. "Let's go now. I can't wait to see Emily's and Daniel's face when they learn that you two are officially a couple now."

David put his arm around Victoria's waist and smiled at her lovingly. "Yes, I can hardly believe it myself."

"It's the first time in over twenty years that we can openly acknowledge our love," Victoria said softly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Together they left the airport building and went to Charlotte's car to drive home.

 **Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

After the evening meal together with Victoria and David, Emily and Daniel had gone upstairs to bring baby Julian to bed. Luckily, the little one fell asleep immediately, which meant they had some quality time together. But to Emily's disappointment, Daniel had other things in mind than to cuddle and exchange hugs and kisses. When she came out of the bathroom, already dressed for the night, he sat in bed, frowning, turning over pages in a book. Curiously, she came closer and then had to grin when she saw which book he was reading.

"The Best Baby Names", she read the title, which was written on the front page. "Don't you think it's a little too early for that? We don't even know what it's going to be."

"You can't start soon enough," he muttered, unable to take his eyes off the pages. "Julian reminded me how fast time flies," he continued. "I can't believe he's already six months old. It won't be long before we have to worry about his education."

"He's six months and not six years old." Emily laughed. "You exaggerate as always. But show me what you found." She sat down next to him and looked over his shoulder curiously. "Laura, Leonie, Luisa...", she read and then looked at him in surprise. "You think it's going to be a girl?"

He shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "A couple would be nice, don't you think? I mean, I grew up with a little sister too, and somehow it was great to be the bigger brother."

"Just that you and Charlotte are seven years apart," she pointed out. "Julian and..." She thought for a moment. "Call it 'Baby X' are just a year apart then."

"Baby X?" He placed his hand on her belly and smiled. "What an inventive name. It would never have occurred to me."

"Until birth, we'll think of something better." She took the book from his hand and put it on the bedside table. "We still have a few months left." Quickly she lifted the blanket and slipped next to him. "I think we should sleep now. The day was really long and exhausting."

"Not for me." He grimaced. "Thanks to my injury, I had to stay in the house. And I wanted to be there when you went to the airport to find David."

Emily looked at him with a serious expression. "You were so quiet at supper. Is it okay for you that they are together now?" She asked worriedly. "I mean, it wasn't long ago that your dad died."

He tenderly brushed a strand of hair from her face. "It will probably be weird in the beginning to see him wandering around the house as if he were the owner," he admitted. "But they really seem to love each other. Something you couldn't say about my dad and my mom." He rolled his eyes. "From an early age, I have only seen the two arguing. I wasn't blind. I saw how unhappy they were with each other. Basically, they just stayed together because they were afraid of the gossip. And Charlotte is the living proof that their marriage was long over. They betrayed each other, but it would have been better if they had gotten divorced."

Emily snuggled closer to him. "So you agree with their relationship?"

He gently kissed the tip of her nose. "I think my mother is old enough to choose her own men," he said with a chuckle. "She doesn't need my consent."

"I'm so happy he decided to live here again," Emily said, smiling. "Here is his home. And isn't it that they say that you always return to where you lost your heart?"

"Home is where the heart is," Daniel murmured softly and then smiled tenderly at her. "My little poetess and her desire for a perfect world." He pulled her closer and covered her mouth with his before she could reply.


	24. Farewell

****Cemetery, Hamptons****

 ** **A few days later****

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me..."

With sorrowful faces, the mourning relatives and guests listened to the priest's words as everyone gathered around the family grave. The cemetery was swamped with people. Everyone wanted to say goodbye to Conrad Grayson. But they only had provided seats for the next of kin and friends. Among the mourners, besides the family, was Nolan, who had just been released from the hospital, and Jack and Ava, who also had wanted to pay tribute to the deceased man. Emily reached for Daniel's hand and didn't let go of it until the priest had ended his speech and prayers. Though he looked composed, she noticed that tears glistened in his eyes, even though he held his head lowered. He really grieved for his father, which wasn't true for Victoria. Not a tear had touched her cheeks and had ruined her make-up. She held her head upright and kept a straight face. At her side was David, who followed the whole ceremony like an uninvolved observer. No wonder, because he and Conrad were not exactly friends. He only was with Victoria because he wanted to support her. The priest had finished his prayers, and now everyone went to the casket to place the flowers before they let the dead body down into the ground. Emily waited until everyone had put down the flowers and then went to the casket.

"I want to thank you, Conrad..." she whispered softly, audible only to her ears as she placed a single white rose on top of the casket. "Thank you for being there for Daniel when I couldn't, and thanks again for convincing him to fight for his love. I owe it to you that he had the courage to face his feelings. And yes, thank you as well that in the last days of your life you were the father for him, whom he had always wanted. That meant a lot to him. More than you'll ever know..." She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I wish you could have seen how happy we are now. You saved my life just like I saved yours. And for that I will be eternally grateful to you. Perhaps it will comfort you to know that the moment you died, Daniel learned that he will become a father again. And I..."

"Emily?" Her farewell speech was suddenly cut short when Daniel stepped beside her and frowned at her. "What are you doing?" He asked, obviously confused.

"Saying goodbye," she replied curtly as she wiped her cheeks again to banish the last tears.

"We are the last ones. All the others already left." He pointed to the exit.

Startled, she looked around. Except for the pallbearers, they were alone. "How long have I been standing here?" She thought aloud.

"For a while. I was worried when you weren't with the others. That's why I went back to see where you were."

Emily looked worriedly at his crutches. "You shouldn't walk around for so long. It's best to drive back home now."

"To the big Grayson farewell party," Daniel added, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I don't understand why they call it 'funeral feasting'. I think it's inappropriate to celebrate the dead and then stuff yourself."

"We don't have to go there if you don't want to," Emily said, touching his arm slightly.

"As the son of the deceased, it would be a scandal if I stayed away from the celebrations," he said sarcastically.

"Nobody can force you. Everyone is mourning in their own way," she said softly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Let's stay here," he suddenly suggested.

"What, here? At the cemetery?" Emily frowned confused, but then sat down on one of the free chairs, as he nodded in confirmation. For a while, they just sat in silence, watching how the casket with its decorated flowers was lowered into the ground.

"Don't you think such a cemetery has a downright calming effect on you?" Daniel suddenly said into the silence as he stared fixedly at the grave. "It's a good place to meditate."

"I came often here," Emily said hesitantly. "I visited my... dad. When I thought he was dead," she added quickly, pointing to the other side of the cemetery. "His grave is over there."

"Yes, I know." Daniel nodded. "My mother was here often, too."

"I'm sorry, Daniel." She suddenly reached for his hand.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked, looking puzzled.

"It must be unfair to you that my father lives now and yours is dead," she said reluctantly.

He squeezed her hand and smiled sadly. "I would call it destiny." He took a deep breath and then continued. "It could have struck me as well. The bullet Aiden had fired at me at the time could have killed me, as well as the second bullet that found its way into my thigh and not into my heart." He suddenly frowned engrossed in thought. "There is a saying: 'We all have two lives, the second begins when we realize that we only have one'." He turned to her and lifted her chin slightly, "I survived twice, and I intend to use this second chance to do it right this time," he said softly, then kissed her gently, before he rose and walked to the open grave. He looked down at the casket. "Farewell, Dad, I wish you a better life wherever you are now." Emily felt tears running down her cheeks as he finally turned to face her. "Are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready. You too?" She asked in a low, tearful voice.

He nodded. "Let's go home."

They left the cemetery and drove back to Grayson Manor to celebrate the farewell of Conrad Grayson with the other mourners.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 ** **In the middle of the night****

"It was a moving funeral service," Ava said, hugging Emily goodbye. "Thank the others and I'll call you soon."

"Didn't you forget something?" Jack interjected, carrying the sleeping Carl in his arms.

"Oh yes, of course." Ava hit her head. "Please thank Julia once again for taking care of Carl."

Jack rolled his eyes impatiently. "That's not what I meant. But alright, of course, we're grateful we could leave him here during the funeral service and the subsequent party." He fished the car key out of his pocket with his free hand and gave Ava a meaningful look. "I'll carry the little man to the car. You can follow after you have discussed everything."

"What does he mean?" Emily asked curiously, as Jack had left the house with the three-year-old.

"Do you have a moment?" Ava asked with a forced smile.

"Yes, sure. All guests are gone, we can sit in the living room and talk." She pointed to the living room and sat down on the couch. "What do you want to talk about?" She then asked directly, as Ava had also sat down.

"I should have told you sooner, but you had so many other things on your plate that I didn't want to bother you with that, too," she apologized, kneading her hands nervously. "And I don't know if your father-in-law's funeral is the right time to tell you."

"Don't keep me in suspense. Just tell me what's going on." Emily saw how nervous Ava had become and suddenly had a queasy feeling in her stomach. "I hope it's nothing bad?"

"No, no," Ava reassured her immediately. "Quite the contrary." She took a deep breath. "Jack and I decided to postpone our wedding by another three months." She raised her head and waited tensely for Emily's reaction.

"Three months," Emily repeated mechanically, slowly realizing what that meant. "Oh!" she blurted out and reflexively placed a hand on her belly.

"Yes, I know." Ava guiltily twisted her mouth. "You will be seven months pregnant till then. But Jack and I have been thinking about it for a long time, and we have decided that we just can't make things work until August. There's still so much to do... the location must be found," she began to list, "the guests must be invited, I need a wedding dress, Jack a suit, then the rings, food, the wedding cake..." She sighed frustrated and looked at her friend with a sense of guilt. "I'm so sorry, Emily."

"It's your wedding, silly." Emily smiled. "You and Jack are the main characters. I'm just the bridesmaid. And what I look like plays only a minor role."

"I didn't think about your looks," Ava said hesitantly and lowered her head.

Emily suddenly began to understand Ava's concern. "You think, just because Julian was a premie, this baby will be born premature, too?"

Ava nodded with a wry smile. "Something like that," she admitted. "Of course, we hope this is not going to be the case," she added quickly. "It was just a spontaneous thought."

Touched, Emily reached for Ava's hand. "That's really nice that you worry so much. But a wedding is not stressful. At least not if you aren't the bride." She grinned and put her hand on her belly. "If we start with the preparations now, then everything is finished on your wedding day."

"So you're not mad at us for postponing the date to October?" Ava asked again.

"No, of course not." Emily shook her head. "Only it won't be a beach wedding. It's too cold for that."

"I wouldn't have wanted that anyway," Ava confessed. "Too much bittersweet memories for Jack about Amanda... I mean Emily, his first wife. We want to find a location that's special."

"Then we should start the search immediately. And I'll help you with that," Emily promised.

"Thanks!" Ava got up and hugged her friend. "I'm so glad we could sort it out. Now I can sleep better again."

"Speaking of sleep. You should go to your fiancé and stepson and drive home with them. The night is short enough this time anyway. You should get at least a little bit of sleep."

"Yeah, you're right." Together with Emily, Ava walked to the entrance door. "I'll get in touch with you in the next few days and we'll discuss everything then, okay?"

"Okay." Emily watched her with mixed feelings and then went upstairs to the bathroom to get ready for the night as well.


	25. Last Will

****Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 **One week later**

"If you want me to accompany you to the reading of the will, all you have to do is ask," Emily offered Daniel as they all sat at the breakfast table.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Victoria interjected without being asked. "It's about Conrad's legacy, and I hardly think he left anything in his last will for you."

Emily admonished herself for control. She wanted to dump her tea in Victoria's face. She had hoped that there would be some kind of truce between them now that she was together with her father. But she had been wrong. Victoria was still cool and reserved towards her and never missed an opportunity to make snappish remarks. And apparently, her commentary was just to show that she still hadn't accepted Emily as part of the Grayson family.

"Mom!" Charlotte gave her mother a reproachful look. "Was this really necessary? Emily's statement was addressed to Daniel and not to you."

"Well, I knew that." She picked up a croissant and buttered it before continuing. "Emily doesn't need our fortune. She has money herself."

"That's not what this is about," Daniel intervened. "As a member of the Grayson family, Emily has a right to be part of the reading of the will, just like each one of us."

"Whatever you say," she sulked. "I just think it's superfluous, because she won't inherit anything anyway."

Emily was tired of Victoria's taunts. She pushed her chair back and got up. "Please, excuse me. I'm going to check on Julian." She didn't wait for a possible answer, but left the dining room with hasty steps. She was about to take the stairs when she heard footsteps behind her. Immediately she stopped and turned around.

"She doesn't mean it like that." David walked slowly towards her. "She didn't sleep well last night because she was nervous about the meeting with the notary."

Emily raised a hand to interrupt him. "I know Victoria. And what she said to me has nothing to do with the fact that she slept badly." She shrugged. "She hates me. It's as simple as that."

"Amanda..."

"Please, Dad, don't call me that! That's why she hates me and still doesn't trust me. Years ago, when I came to the Hamptons with a false identity, seeking for revenge, I just lied to everyone. She still hasn't forgiven me that and probably never will."

"She will realize that you have become a completely different person," David contradicted. "She just needs time."

Emily forced a smile and put her hand on his arm. "It's okay. I can live with it. The main thing for me is that Daniel trusts me again. I don't know if I could live with him together if he still had doubts."

"He adores you very much. Everybody can see that." He winked at her. "Well, since I'm not welcome to the notary as well, we both have to guard the house."

"I would like to go to the beach. Do you want to come along?" She pointed upstairs. "I'll get Julian. He can sleep in his stroller while we swim a few laps in the ocean."

"Like in old times?" He looked at her with a loving, fatherly look.

"Like in old times," Emily confirmed and grinned all of a sudden. "You can also look after me that I don't swim too far out this time."

"Agreed." David nodded eagerly. "Then let's go upstairs and get ready for the beach."

"Emily... David... where are you going?" Victoria suddenly stood in front of them. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and frowned.

"Swimming," David replied curtly. "Amanda... I mean... Emily and I are going to the beach with Julian. It's such a beautiful summer day. We want to make use of it while you're at the notary."

"You don't come with us?"

Emily noticed the disappointment in Victoria's face and she waited nervously for her father's response.

"Why should I?" He frowned. "I hardly believe that Conrad left something for me."

"Probably not, but I thought you might still want to be there when Conrad's testament will be read or just to support me," Victoria said.

"You have Daniel and Charlotte who will support you." He put his arm around Emily's shoulder spontaneously. "Just go with the others. I intend to spend time with my daughter and grandson today." He tilted his head slightly and looked at Victoria with a curious look. "I hope you don't mind?"

"No... no, why... should I?" She stuttered and then cleared her throat. "Just go to the beach. I'll see you later."

Emily stifled a grin as she saw Victoria turning around and stalking off on her high-heeled shoes.

"That was mean," she told her father and grinned. "She doesn't like being contradicted or when someone thwarts her plans."

"She'll have to get used to it," he said, shrugging casually. "I've lived alone for too long to dance to a woman's tune."

Emily laughed. "You shouldn't let her hear that. She will do everything she can to manipulate you."

"And then she'll quickly realize it's too late for that." He took Emily's hand and pulled her up the stairs.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

Emily had just finished laying Julian down for his nap, when the door to the nursery opened and Daniel hobbled in on his crutches.

"Is he sleeping?"

Emily nodded. "He just fell asleep. The fresh air on the beach made him tired." She smiled. "It was really nice spending time with my dad again. We had so much fun. I completely forgot how this feels."

"Can we talk?"

Only then did she realize how tense and nervous he was. "Everything okay?" She asked worriedly and left with him the nursery to go to the bedroom.

"If you really want to know the truth... no." He sat down in an armchair and stretched his leg.

"Do you feel any pain? Should I call the doctor?" She leaned down to him and touched his injured leg.

"It's not that." He gently pushed her away. "The leg is fine. It has to do with Dad's last will."

Emily straightened up and looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand what you mean."

Tired, he brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. "Shortly before his death, he had changed his testament," he filled her in. "As if he knew he was going to die." He raised his head and looked at her with a serious face. "His kidnapping and the fact that my mother had a secret affair with your father apparently made him change his will." He spread his arms wide. "All this, Grayson Manor, the estate, and everything belonging to this... it's ours," he finished his report.

"Us?" Emily echoed confused.

"You and me, in equal shares. He wanted our kids to grow up here." He sighed deeply. "He also left me the company, which was not really a surprise for me. I guessed he would do that."

"And what about Charlotte and your mother?" Emily asked, still surprised by the news that she had become the new owner of the Manor.

"They are financially supported until the end of their lives," he explained. "In addition, Charlotte inherited our residence in Paris. Maybe he thought she was going to live there someday."

"Your mother didn't inherit nothing else than the obligatory share?"

"No." He shook his head and laughed bitterly. "That was his revenge for her betrayal. She wants to challenge the will, of course, but I don't think she will get her right."

"He didn't want her to live here anymore," Emily said thoughtfully. "That's why he left Grayson Manor to you and me."

"Not only that. He took everything from her that ever was important to her: her home, her honor, the right to carry the Grayson name."

"Now she'll hate me even more," Emily sighed. "But I never intended to take away her home."

"I wish we could just pack our things, take Julian and then start a new life in Paris," Daniel said out of the blue. "Just as we had planned."

"You want to give it all up and leave?" She looked at him incredulously. "What about Grayson Global and your home? You can't just give up everything. Your father expects you to fulfill his last will."

"I didn't ask him for that," he said sharper than intended. "He knew that I didn't want the company. We talked about it often. I don't have the 'killer instinct' with which he ran Grayson Global. I already noticed that years ago. And I didn't like the way I changed over time while running the company."

Emily remembered and had to agree. Her relationship was broken then. "You could sell the company," she suggested.

"Selling the company that my grandfather founded once?" He shook his head. "I can't do that. I suppose I'll have to do what he ordered me to do."

"What will happen to the 'Voulez'?"

"Margaux is there, too. And it's easier for her to find a new chief editor than I someone who can manage Grayson Global."

"That's it!" Emily suddenly exclaimed excited as a thought flashed through her mind. "You don't need to sell your father's company. You just have to find someone to run it."

"Should I post an ad in the paper?" Daniel asked, amused by Emily's suggestion.

"Maybe that's not necessary," she muttered as she suddenly remembered the conversation with her father that they had just before he had led her into the forest, to Conrad's dugout...

"You may not believe me, but I didn't mean to hurt him. I would have threatened him that I would have his family killed, which I never would have done, but I think that alone would have been enough to bring him to his senses. I would have given him a new identity, and he would have been able to start a new life somewhere else. Conrad Grayson would have been dead to the people here, kidnapped and murdered."

"You wanted him to go through the same as you?"

"With the difference that I would have been on the other side. I had the fortune, the wealth, Grayson Global, Victoria... Why did you have to get involved? I was so close to the goal..."

And now he was with Victoria. Wouldn't it solve all her problems if he also took over Grayson Global? "I have to go," she said, bending down to him and kissing his cheek.

"Where are you going?" Daniel asked curiously.

"Taking care of something important," she replied cryptically, smiling at him once again before leaving the bedroom and making her way to her father.

 ** **Grayson Manor, Hamptons****

 **Late in the evening**

"You don't guess what Aman-Emily proposed to me?" David said as he took off his clothes in Victoria's bedroom.

"What did she propose to you?" Victoria asked rather indifferent, while she sat down in front of the mirror, taking off her jewelry and then reached for the hair brush and brushed her hair.

"You know that Conrad bequeathed the company to Daniel," he began. "But it looks like he has no interest in it."

She dropped the brush and quickly turned to face him. "What do you mean, he has no interest in it?"

"He doesn't want it." David shrugged. "He believes that he isn't the right person to run the company."

"Did he say that to you?"

"He confided it to Emily," he confessed. "He's unhappy with his inheritance and would rather continue to work as chief editor at the 'Voulez'."

Victoria frowned. "But he can't. Who should run the company then?"

A sly grin appeared on David's face. "What would you think if I became the new head of Grayson Global?"

It took Victoria a moment to consider his proposal. But then her mouth curled up in a grin, too. "I would think that's a great idea," she agreed fervently. "You were a senior executive under Conrad back then. Who else knows the company better than you? You are almost predestined for it!"

"I haven't expected so much praise and approval," he said smiling and wrapped his arms around her waist. "But I have to admit that I liked the idea the minute when Emily made me the offer. Although I'm pretty sure Conrad is tearing his hair out in his grave right now."

Victoria rested her head on his shoulder. "That's what you call retributive justice," she said thoughtfully. "He couldn't make up for what he did to you during his lifetime. Now is the moment where you get back what he took from you once."

Carefully, he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and kissed her tenderly. "Most importantly, I wanted you back, because I never stopped loving you," he said softly.

She gently pushed him over to the bed with a coquettish smile. "Then show me how much you love me," she whispered.

"Your wish is my command," he said with a grin and covered her body with kisses as he sank down with her onto the bed.


	26. Spring Fever

**'Stowaway', Montauk**

 **Four weeks later**

"Thanks a million, Charlotte!" Ava hugged her friend and then stepped out from behind the bar. "I'm really glad you've got the time today for helping out a bit." She looked at her watch frantically. "Emily's waiting. I have to go." She reached for her bag, which she had left on the counter and ran to the door.

"Ava!"

"What?"

"The car keys." Charlotte took the keys that had fallen out of the purse and held them out to Ava grinning. "You are completely confused."

"I'm getting married in eight weeks. I'm allowed to be confused, right?" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Wait until you're ready to get married. Then you know what I'm talking about."

"Before I get married, I have to fall in love with someone first," Charlotte said laughing.

"Sometimes this happens sooner than expected." Ava looked at her watch again. "Oh shoot, I'm late. I promised Emily I would be at her place at 11 am because she has an appointment with her gynecologist in the afternoon."

"Then have fun..." Charlotte thought for a moment. "What is actually on the program today?"

"We look at different locations. Jack wanted to go with us, but he had an important meeting in town." She frowned at Charlotte. "You really can manage alone?"

"Sure. I'm not doing this for the first time, as you know. And there won't be many guests anyway. It's in the middle of the week."

"Okay then, see you later."

Smiling, Charlotte looked after her friend as she left the bar and then went to the door and locked it. The opening hours hadn't even started, so at least she had peace and quiet for preparing everything until then, without any interruption. While she was cleaning glasses and filling up drinks in the fridge, she passed the last four weeks in review.

The last will of her father had brought some changes. Her mother lived with David in the beach house now after Emily and Daniel had become the new owners of the Manor. David had taken over the management of Grayson Global, making Daniel very happy in the process, who rather wanted to continue to work as chief editor of the 'Voulez'. His injury had healed well in the last few weeks, so he had no longer any physical limitations. Emily actively supported Ava in her wedding preparations, and she took care of the kids, Carl and Julian, in the meantime, unless she helped out in the bar. Julia, Emily's friend from France and now her friend as well had secretly fallen in love with Nolan, with whom she had been living together in his mansion for several weeks. But this love was only one-sided, because Nolan had only friendly feelings for Julia, which was a shame, especially since Jill, Julia's little daughter, was very fond of Nolan and vice versa. Almost all of them were happily in love and in a committed relationship, just not her, she sighed inwardly. She hadn't fallen in love with a man since Declan's death. And that was a few years ago. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she flinched when someone knocked at the door. Hesitantly, she went to the door and unlocked it. "We're still closed," she said through the crack of the door, without looking at the person who was standing in front of it.

"Yes, I know. I can read. The door plate with the opening hours are at the door."

Intrigued who owned this warm, dark male voice, she opened the door a little further and then backed away as a sign was held in front of her nose.

"I'm interested in the advertised position."

As he pulled the sign slowly away, and she saw what was behind it, she suddenly felt her pulse quicken. The first thing she noticed was his brown eyes, which looked at her in amusement. The man standing in front of her was maybe in his mid-20s, tall, muscular, but not too bulky. His sandy hair was cut short, which immediately reminded her of a soldier or bodyguard. And so was his appearance, self-confident and dominant. Her hands began to shake slightly as she took the sign from his hand. "You... you are here for the job of a bar-tender?" She stuttered as she felt heat rising in her cheeks.

"Actually yes, or do you have other jobs to give away?"

"N-no." Charlotte nervously turned the sign in her hand. "My... boss... I mean, Jack, the owner of this bar, is not here right now."

"I can wait if necessary."

His smile softened her legs. And though she would have gladly invited him in, she knew it was wiser to keep aloof from him. "Unfortunately this is not possible. Can you come back again at a later time?" She prayed inwardly that he would say yes.

"Of course, no problem. Would you tell me your name?"

"Ch-charlotte." She was annoyed about herself that she couldn't even say her name without stuttering. But his presence just made her nervous. And then this smile!

"See you soon, Charlotte."

When he had left, she went with wobbly knees to a chair and sat down. She was still completely overwhelmed with this encounter, and suddenly she remembered that she told him her name, but she didn't know his. Sighing, she leaned back and closed her eyes. It didn't matter that she didn't know his name. But one thing she knew very well: She had just fallen head over heels in love.

 **On the road**

"It's just pointless!" Groaning, Ava dropped into the passenger seat of Emily's car and slapped her hands over her face. "Let's drive home."

"We have two more locations to look at," Emily pointed out. "Don't you want to see it?"

"These two won't be more useful than the last five. Besides, we don't have time anymore. Didn't you say you have an appointment with your doctor?"

Emily looked at the clock. "Only in two hours. There's still plenty of time."

"I didn't think it would be so complicated to find a place to celebrate a wedding," Ava sighed.

"You're a demanding person," Emily said, grinning and raising her eyebrows meaningfully. "It doesn't matter where you get married. I mean, there are couples who elope to Las Vegas and marry there or they just go to the county clerk's office. But you want to wed in a church and then make a big wedding celebration."

"You're right. I tell Jack that we're just go to the county clerk's office," Ava said dryly. "Then we'll put it behind us quickly and spare ourselves all the trouble of choosing a location, a wedding dress, wedding cake..."

"Give me a break!" Emily interrupted impatiently. "You don't really mean that. A wedding is something unique. At least that's the way it should be." She thought hard for a moment. "You know what? I think I've just come up with an idea where we can celebrate."

"Now I'm intrigued." Ava looked at her curiously. "But please not in this garden shed we looked at earlier!"

Emily shook her head, grinning. "No, I really wouldn't call Grayson Manor a garden shed."

"What?" Ava's eyes widened in disbelief. "Grayson Manor?" She echoed.

Emily shrugged casually. "Why not? The villa is mine now. So I can do whatever I want with it. And we have plenty of room to organize a really big wedding party. Just how you want it."

"You really mean that, right?" Ava asked, shaking her head. "I just don't believe it."

"Are you okay with this?"

Instead of an answer, Ava leaned over to Emily and hugged her. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Emily laughed. "Yes, I know. But I think the idea is really good. And we wouldn't have to look for other locations that you probably wouldn't like anyway."

"Then we can continue with other things on the list," Ava said and pulled a note from her purse. "The next point on the list is 'Pick a bridal gown'," she read, giving Emily a sidway glance. "Oh man, I think we should postpone that to another day. I don't think I'll find a suitable wedding dress in less than two hours."

"No, I don't think so either," Emily said with a chuckle. "If that takes just as long as to find a place for the wedding, then we should take the whole week off." She started the engine. "We'll postpone this for next week, okay?"

Ava nodded. "But you still call me after your doctor's appointment," she said urgently. "I also want to know what the sex of the baby is."

Sighing, Emily petted her rounded belly. "Yes, me too. With Julian we already knew in the 16th week. Now I'm 20 weeks pregnant, and so far he or she hasn't wanted to show what it's going to be."

"Then let yourself be surprised," said Ava, smiling. "Just buy neutral stuff. You can't do anything wrong with that."

"Yes, that's what Daniel said, too." She rolled her eyes. "What do men know about how fun it is to buy everything specifically by gender."

"Neither do I know." Ava smiled sheepishly. "But start driving now, so you don't miss your appointment. I'll go home and tell Jack about our plans."

"Then let's drive home." Emily stepped on the gas and drove off.

 **Gynecological Practice Dr. Rosen**

"Are you nervous?"

"Why do you ask me that every time?" Sighing, Emily leaned back in her chair and reached for Daniel's hand. "Of course I'm nervous," she confessed. "I don't understand why you aren't."

"Honestly, I don't care if we get a boy or a girl." He grimaced. "This is much more important for you women."

Emily frowned at him. "The last time you had this book with babynames in your hand, you were just looking for girl's names. At least admit that you care."

He turned to her and looked deep into her eyes. "Back in Cleveland, when you were hospitalized with bleeding, I was so scared that you would lose the baby." He shook his head. "No, I really don't care if it's a boy or girl. The main thing is that it's healthy."

Affected by his words, she put her hand to his cheek. "You're really sweet and always know exactly what to say, so that I love you even more than I already do."

He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "Are you feeling better now?" He asked after finishing the kiss.

Emily nodded. "Much better." She looked up when the doctor's receptionist approached.

"Emily Grayson? You're next," she said, pointing to the treatment room.

Emily took a deep breath and then got up. "Fine, let's step into the lion's den." She felt Daniel reaching for her hand.

"No matter what will happen in there. I'm here for you," he said, holding her hand in his as they walked together into the treatment room.

 **'Stowaway', Montauk**

"And did you find a location?" Charlotte inquired curiously as Ava entered the bar.

"Imagine, Emily's giving us her newly acquired villa," she said with a grin.

"We're celebrating at Grayson Manor?" Charlotte asked in astonishment, then clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Wow! That's great!"

"Yes, I'm also very excited. All I have to do is tell Jack. But I don't think he has any objections." Ava's gaze fell on the sign that was on the counter. "Wasn't it outside?" She asked confused.

"Yes, it was." Charlotte cleared her throat. "But there was someone here who was interested in the bartender job."

"That's great!" Ava nodded pleased. "We really need the help. When can he start?"

"Jack wasn't there, so I sent him away," Charlotte said sheepishly. "But he promised he would come back," she added quickly as she saw Ava's frown.

"I really hope so, because that's a job that not a lot of people want to do. We can be happy if anyone is interested in it."

"I'm sorry!" Charlotte lowered her head. "If I had known I would have written down his name and maybe his phone number."

"You don't even know his name?"

"No." Charlotte felt herself blushing. "Everything happened so fast. He practically ambushed me, and then he left again."

"It's okay." Ava forced a smile. "It's not your fault. He'll come back if he's really serious about doing the job as a bartender." She was suddenly distracted when her phone began to ring. She looked at the display and then answered the call quickly. She listened for a moment and then hung up. "That was Emily," she said to Charlotte, who looked at her curiously. A big smile appeared on her face. "It's a girl," she then blurted out. "Emily and Daniel are having a little daughter."

 **At** **a Diner in New York**

The man picked up the menu, studied it and then called the waitress. "The hamburger with bacon and extra cheese and a coke, please," he said and waited until the young woman had written everything down.

"Is that all?" She asked kindly.

"No, not quite." He leaned forward and looked deep into her eyes. "I've only been in town since yesterday and I'm looking for a cheap place to stay. Can you tell me where to find it?"

She thought for a moment and then nodded. "Are you traveling by car?"

He nodded.

"Then it would probably be the cheapest, if you would go to a motel. There are some here, just along the freeway," she said, then turned to carry out his order.

When she had left, he pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through the pages of the pictures. It was always the same object in the pictures: a young woman with long, red-blond hair holding a baby in her arms. Involuntarily his hands clenched into fists and he took a deep breath to force himself to calm down. He had to act cautiously. He couldn't afford to have a relapse again. He had waited almost a year for this moment, and now it had come. When the waitress brought his food, he slipped the phone back into his jacket pocket. She had taken away everything that was important to him. He had come here to get everything back. He left the diner after eating and payment and went to his car.


	27. Unexpected Encounter

**'Stowaway', Montauk**

"You haven't even asked me what I did in the city," Jack opened the topic after locking the bar.

"You'll tell me right away," Ava said and went behind the counter to clear away the last of the things.

"I was at a real estate agency."

"What?" She jerked her head and looked at him in horror. "You want to sell the bar?"

"No, silly," he said with a grin. "I don't want to sell the bar. I just don't want to live here anymore." He leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "I'm looking for a house for us," he told her. "A house for us alone, with several rooms, a large living room, bedroom, some children's rooms..."

"Wait a minute," she interrupted him. "How many children did you plan for us?"

He gently pulled her close and kissed her. "Well, I think we'll start with one and have to see if we continue."

Slowly she pulled back from him. "Don't get me wrong," she began hesitantly, avoiding his scrutiny. "I also would like to have children at some point in the future. But not now. I'm 24 years old and just don't feel ready to become a mother."

He frowned irritably. "But you're a great mother for Carl," he said honestly. "I couldn't imagine a better mother for him."

"But I'm not his mother," she pointed out. "I see myself as his aunt." She put her hand gently on his arm. "I'm sorry, Jack! I had no idea that it's so important to you to become a father again."

"That's not it." He looked deep in her eyes. "It's not about becoming a father," he said, his expression grave. "I just want to have a child with the woman I love." He sighed and brushed his hair from his forehead. "A baby can deepen the relationship between two people who love each other deeply even more."

Ava nodded. "Like Daniel and Emily."

He nodded, knowing that this wasn't a question. "I know, we never really talked about kids," he said hesitantly. "But I just assumed that you would like to have some as much as I do."

"Is that why you want to buy a house for us?" She asked quietly, then waited tensely for his answer.

"Not only because of that. I just wanted to make a home for ourselves." He looked around. "A real home," he emphasized again. "Living above the bar might be nice when you're living alone. But I also think about the future."

"Just because I accepted Emily's invitation to celebrate our wedding at Grayson Manor doesn't mean I want to live in a big house."

"But you used to live in a villa like that," he said with a frown. "You told me about your life as a rich heir with your own vineyard. You were used to luxury. What has changed since then?"

"Everything." She quickly stepped out from behind the counter and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked confused.

"Going for a jog before it gets dark," she answered curtly, then quickly left the bar before he could offer to accompany her.

She didn't have a specific goal in mind when she ran off and was surprised when she found herself on the beach. It was already sunset when she took off her sneakers, left them in the sand and walked slowly to the water. Different thoughts were swirling in her head. Why hadn't she told him before he proposed to her? She loved Carl, and she also enjoyed taking care of Julian. But she had never seen herself as a mother. And she didn't lie when she told Jack that she felt still too young to take such a big responsibility. She thought of Emily and Daniel and that both had the responsibility for two small children soon. But Emily was six years older than her and ready to become a mother. But was Jack willing to wait that long? She had to talk frankly with him. Running away had been a mistake. She went to where her shoes lay and was about to pick them up when she felt an arm looping around her waist. Instinctively, she knew it wasn't Jack who had followed her, and her will to survive took over control. She hadn't learned self-protection on Rebun Island for no reason, she thought as she wriggled out of the man's grip in a smooth motion, following two targeted kicks into the attacker's abdomen that made him go down. Though he was taller and stronger, she easily knocked him out. But when she looked down at her attacker to see who had threatened her, her heart almost stopped in horror.

"You?!" she exclaimed in disbelief when she realized who was lying at her feet.

 **Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

When Emily entered the bedroom that evening, she found Daniel again with the baby book in his hands. She sat down on the bed, smiling. "Did you find the perfect name for our little girl?" She asked teasingly.

"Our little girl," he repeated, placing his hand tenderly on her belly. "I knew it was going to be a girl."

"You mean you wished for it," Emily said, frowning.

"No, I knew it," he insisted, then grinned. "What do you think, why I only chose girl's names? And now that we have confirmation, we can also go and buy baby clothes."

"When am I having the time to do that?" Emily sighed. "I have enough to do with helping Ava with her wedding preparations. We are often on the road for hours to find something suitable."

"Like the location?" He asked dryly.

Embarrassed, she looked at him. "It's okay for you that they celebrate here, right? I mean, I know I should have asked you for permission before, because you also own the Manor, but..."

"It's okay," he interrupted her. "My home is your home, too. And you can decide about it just as I do."

"But?" She frowned at him.

"Why do you think a 'but' is coming now?" He asked, frowning.

"Because I know you. When I told you right after my arrival, you were not so enthusiastic about it."

"The wedding is in eight weeks," he said hesitantly. "If they celebrate here, it will affect us as well. You are 7 months pregnant by then." He looked at her with a serious expression. "You heard what Dr. Rosen said."

"He is a doctor. He needs to inform his patients about risks." She rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't mean that I will experience another premature birth."

"Not if you're careful," he admitted. "But I don't see that happening when the whole house is turned upside down to celebrate a wedding."

"I'll hand the responsibility over to Ava and Jack soon enough. I promise." She looked at him pleadingly. "Please Daniel, I promised Ava. I can't pull out from it now."

"Okay," he agreed hesitantly, "I don't want to spoil that for you, but I'm really worried."

"You don't have to." She put her hand on her belly. "Our little girl is fine. I feel it."

"And hopefully it will stay like that," he said softly, placing his hand over hers.

"What letter were you earlier?" She suddenly changed the subject and reached for the book.

"'D', why?"

"Because it's my daughter, too, and I'd like to have a say in the name choice," she said with a smile and snuggled up against his shoulder, flipping open the page he had last looked at.

 ** **On the Beach****

"Ava Winters."

She heard his chuckle and felt an icy chill running down her spine, though it was still warm despite the advanced time.

"Your killer instinct is still there. I should have known it would be a mistake to sneak up on someone who trained under Takeda."

Gradually she found her voice again. "What are you doing here, Jon?" She asked, holding out her hand to help him get up.

"What kind of greeting is that?" He jumped to his feet and grinned at her. "I thought you were happy to see me again." He frowned, lost in thought. "How long ago was it that we saw each other the last time... half a year or more? You simply vanished into thin air. I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye to you."

"You weren't there when I left Takeda's training camp," she explained dryly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Meeting her former training partner and boyfriend was a shock. She hadn't expected to ever see him again. And he was right. She hadn't even said goodbye to him even though they were very close at the time.

"Would you have said goodbye?" He asked doubtfully. "I don't think so, because you just left without saying goodbye to anyone. I later learned from the others that you left the island."

"And how did you find me now?"

"I did some research," he said. "At least I knew you left the island with the Grayson family. But first I had to do my own business before I could go and see you. And then I came across a magazine showing pictures of the funeral of industrialist Conrad Grayson and his family. You were on one of those pictures too, and I decided to fly to the Hamptons to visit you."

"And then you stalked me and thought you could ambush me when you saw me on the beach," she concluded.

He laughed. "It was not like that, because believe it or not, it's just a coincidence that I'm here. I love sunsets, as you know. And I just went to the beach to watch the sunset from here."

Ava nodded, remembering how many times they had watched the sunset on Rebun Island together. At that time, they had been a couple, and they had both enjoyed it, sitting cuddled together on a ledge, watching the red fireball slowly disappearing behind the horizon. It was also the first time they had kissed each other.

"A penny for your thoughts."

"I..." She swallowed and turned to him. In the pale light of the moon she could see his brown eyes, which were almost black now.

"You remember," he said simply, walking up to her.

"Don't!" She took a step back. "I... Jon, I can't," she said weakly, holding out her hand to him. "I'm engaged. I'm going to get married in two months."

"And I was so naive to think we could pick up where we left off last time." He caught her hand and looked at the sparkling ring. "Very impressive. The guy has money."

She quickly withdrew her hand from him. "You think I just want to marry him for his money?" She shook her head indignantly. "You're completely wrong. Jack is not a rich landowner. He owns the bar at the harbor."

"The Stowaway?" He asked in surprise.

Ava nodded hesitantly. "How do you know about the 'Stowaway'?"

Jon laughed. "Well, that's what I call a funny coincidence. I was there," he confessed. "I wanted to apply for the job as a bartender. But your little employee sent me away."

"You were the person who wanted to get the job?" She exclaimed and looked at him perplexed. "By the way, Charlotte is not my 'little employee'," she pointed out. "She only helps out occasionally at the bar. She's Emily's sister."

"Emily, as in... Emily Thorne?"

"Yes, exactly, 'our' Emily, Takeda's darling." She grimaced. "Since you apparently also read the gossip magazines, you probably know that she is back with her husband."

"The guy she wanted to destroy at the time." He shook his head. "I don't get it. First she comes to the island to follow the path of revenge, and then she goes back to reconcile with everyone. What sense does that make?"

"I understand from your words that you're still seeking revenge and have continued training on Rebun Island until now?"

He nodded hesitantly. "That's true with the training. However, I only stayed because I didn't know where else to go. Since you left the island, a lot has changed. We all fought together. But one by one left the island. What for had I fight for... alone? "

"And what do you want to do now?"

"I need a job." He grinned at her. "And a room to live would not be bad either. I can't stay at the motel all the time. It's too expensive in the long run."

She knew it was a mistake to give him the job as a bartender, but they hadn't only been a couple, but also really close friends. She owed him that. "You can have the job as a bartender," she said shortly. "I'll talk with Jack."

"Ava Winters and Jon West finally reunited," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

She quickly stretched out her hand to him. "Here's to us!"

"Here's to us," he echoed and spread his arms. "Let me hug you before I return to my uncomfortable shelter."

Reluctantly, she stepped into his arms and closed her eyes. Suddenly memories surfaced, as they had hugged and kissed each other, and automatically her body snuggled closer against him. He seemed to feel the same way, because suddenly she felt his hand in her hair, on her cheek, and as he raised her face to his and looked at her with a loving expression, she gave up any resistance and allowed him to kiss her.

"Oh Ava...," he whispered, pulling her closer. "How I missed that."

She was so befuddled from his kiss that she didn't get a clear head again until he said the three crushing words ...

"I love you."

Shocked, she broke away from him, stared at him with a bewildered expression and then bent down to pick up her shoes and ran away.


	28. Magic Moments

**Grayson Manor, Hamptons**

Emily noticed immediately that something had happened when she greeted Ava the next morning. The choosing of the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses was on the program and Charlotte and Julia were also invited. But first, Emily needed to know what was bothering her friend. "You don't look as if you would like to choose a wedding dress," she tried to sound Ava out.

"I know." Ava closed the door and looked around. "Are the others already there?"

"You mean Charlotte and Julia?" Emily shook her head. "Charlotte is still in her room, and Julia called that she's coming later, so we're all among us and can talk undisturbed."

Surprised, Ava looked at Emily. "Why do you think there is something to talk about?"

"I know you pretty well by now, and I just notice when something bothers you."

"You're right." Ava went into the living room and dropped onto the sofa with a sigh. "Jack and I had a pretty heated argument yesterday", she immediately came to the point of her bad mood.

"I think both of you are quite stressed about the wedding right now," Emily tried to play down the situation. "It can happen that you say something in the heat of the moment you don't mean. And afterwards you regret it."

Ava looked at her friend absorbed in thought and then shook her head. "Of course we had arguments before," she confessed. "But it was different this time."

"How different?" Emily asked, frowning.

Ava took a deep breath and then told Emily about her conversation with Jack that culminated in her leaving the 'Stowaway'.

"What's so wrong about it that he wants to buy a house for you?" Emily frowned at her. "I have to agree with Jack. You can't live over the bar forever. And I'm not just saying that because of a lack of space when a baby comes."

Ava jumped up and paced nervously back and forth. "That won't happen," she said miserably. "Because I don't want kids!"

"You don't want kids?" Emily echoed startled. "But I thought you loved children. You care so much about Julian, and I know that Carl also has locked you in his heart."

"I love them too," Ava admitted. "But it's different to take care of a child than having the lifelong responsibility for it." She sat back down on the sofa and closed her eyes. "You know I've been married before," she said softly. "Or at least that's what I thought then. I didn't know the ceremony was a fake." She cleared her throat before continuing. "At that time, I couldn't wait to settle down with Charlie and start a family. But after he cheated on me and took everything away from me, I realized that nothing in life is really permanent. You should live for the moment and don't make plans for the future."

"But that's the main reason why you decide to get married," Emily pointed out. "You vow in front of the altar that you will love your partner forever and will be faithful to him and always stay by his side, no matter what happens."

Lost in thought Ava twisted her engagement ring. "Maybe it was a mistake that I agreed so quickly to become Jack's wife," she said in a low voice. "I realized yesterday that we both want very different things."

Emily grabbed Ava's hands and looked her straight in the eye. "Jack loves you," she said insistently. "And you love him. Everything else is irrelevant."

Ava withdrew her hands and jumped up again. "That's not all," she said, running a hand through her hair, groaning. "Something happened last night... on the beach..." she confessed hesitantly and lowered her head embarrassed.

"What happened?" Emily asked gently.

"Jon is here," Ava suddenly blurted out and raised her head to face Emily. "Jon West?" She repeated when she saw Emily's frown. "We trained together at Takeda's training camp. Maybe you remember him."

"Oh yes, I remember him now." Emily nodded. "And what does he want here?"

"Apparently he was looking for me and then came here to renew our relationship," Ava admitted hesitantly. "He said 'I love you'." She groaned softly and closed her eyes. "And I stupid cow got lulled by the mood on the beach, his beguiling masculinity and memories, and then I allowed him to kiss me."

"You did what?!" Emily gasped shocked.

"We kissed." Ava slowly opened her eyes and looked at Emily with a desperate look. "What should I do now? I can't tell Jack that I kissed another man a few weeks before our wedding!"

"The question is, if you still want to marry Jack at all," Emily said and looked at her thoughtfully. "To me it sounds like you suddenly have doubts. Or is it because you still love Jon?"

"It's just a total mess in my head," Ava said quietly, looking at Emily with a serious face. "Do you understand now why I'm not in the mood today to choose a wedding dress?"

Emily nodded. "Yes, I understand that. But first of all, you should do something about the mess in your head and become clear with what you want before we can proceed with the wedding preparations," she said calmly. "I'll come up with something that I can tell Charlotte and Julia why we can't go to the bridal gown shop."

"Thanks, Emily!" Ava hugged her spontaneously. "You're the best!"

"What's going on here?"

Emily and Ava flinched when they heard a voice. They hadn't noticed Charlotte, who had suddenly entered the living room.

"Are you ready for the bridal gown shopping?" She asked excitedly and looked expectantly back and forth between the two women.

Emily felt compelled to help Ava, who was just standing there, staring into space. "Ava just told me that she has an appointment today. We have to postpone the wedding dress choosing to a later date."

"What kind of appointment?" Charlotte asked visibly disappointed by the cancellation.

"The bartender job," Ava blurted. It was the first thing that came to mind. "Someone will come by to introduce himself to the job."

"The guy who was there yesterday?" Charlotte asked.

Ava nodded as she avoided Emily's scrutiny. "He called this morning, and since we're urgently looking for someone for the job, I didn't want to cancel on him," she lied.

"Can I come with you?" Charlotte begged. "Please Ava! If we don't go shopping anyway, I can make myself useful at the 'Stowaway'. And if you decide to hire him I could help with the initial training."

"For all I care," Ava agreed reluctantly. "Then let's go now." She hugged Emily one last time. "I'll call you again, okay? We'll make a new date," she promised before finally leaving the Manor with Charlotte.

 **'Stowaway', Montauk**

On their way back to the 'Stowaway', Ava was thinking about how to explain to Charlotte that the candidate for the bartender job had changed his mind. At least that's what she hoped, because what had happened with Jon on the beach had changed her mind about an employment. It was impossible that he would work in the bar. And she hoped he could understand that, too. Better still, she hoped never to see him again. Too embarrassing was the kiss she had exchanged with him in a state of weakness, and neither Charlotte nor Jack could know about it. But when she entered the bar, a special kind of surprise expected her. Jack stood in front of her, holding a huge bouquet of roses in his arms.

"Emily called me and told me you cancelled the wedding dress choosing and were on your way back," he said with a sheepish smile.

Ava accepted the bunch of flowers and then went behind the counter to pour water into a vase. "Emily called?" She repeated unnecessarily as she placed the flowers into the vase.

"Are you two going upstairs?" Charlotte asked, pointing up the stairs. "Don't worry. I'll take care of your candidate when he comes by."

Ava felt heat rising to her cheeks as Jack looked questioningly at her.

"There was someone here who is interested in the job as a bartender?" He asked in surprise.

Ava nodded as she avoided his gaze. "Yeah, he was here yesterday," she confessed. "Charlotte talked to him. I wanted to tell you, but somehow I didn't have the chance to."

"I see." Jack nodded and then cleared his throat. "Can we talk in private?"

Ava exchanged an uncertain look with Charlotte and then followed Jack upstairs. For a moment they just stood silently facing each other before Jack took a step toward her and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry!" He murmured, burying his face in her hair.

Ava closed her eyes and tried to ignore the guilty conscience that was threatening to overwhelm her. He apologized to her, it should have been the other way around. She gently freed herself from his embrace and took a step back. "Jack, I..." she started, but he interrupted her before she could continue.

"No, please, let me say something first," he begged, looking at her with a pleading look. "I hate it when we fight," he began, forcing himself to smile. "But sometimes it's important, because then you can talk about things that concern you deep inside." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I didn't realize how much I pressured you with my desire for a home and a child. I didn't want to. I completely understand if you don't want children right now. After all, we haven't been together that long and need to get to know each other better before we decide to start a family. What I want to say is that I will give you all the time in the world to get ready. No matter how long it takes. I can wait. And until then we have us, Carl and our cozy nest here." He spread his arms grinning.

Ava was too surprised and stunned about Jack's speech that she simply didn't know what to reply. So she responded spontaneously, out of a feeling and kissed him. It felt right to be in his arms and kiss him, even though her guilty conscience almost killed her. But she knew that if she told Jack the truth now, she would lose him forever. And in that moment, she suddenly realized that this was the last thing she wanted. She belonged here, to him, because she loved him. And everything else was unimportant, as Emily had already said. She would forget what had happened with Jon on the beach, she swore to herself. And nobody would ever know. She closed her eyes and snuggled closer into Jack's arms, trying just for a moment to forget everything around her.

Charlotte struggled to be neutral when there was a knock on the door to the bar. She knew who it was without her seeing him. And indeed, it was him, the man of her dreams, who stood before her and greeted her with a smile.

"Hi! As you can see, I kept my promise and came back." He held out his hand. "I didn't introduce myself the last time... Jon West."

"Charlotte... Charlotte Grayson." She took his hand and felt warmth running through her whole body.

"Nice to see you again, Charlotte." He pointed inside. "May I come in now?"

Charlotte nodded and opened the door so he could enter. She glanced quickly in the direction of the stairs, if Jack or Ava had already noticed that he had come, and let out a sigh of relief when everything remained quiet. "Let's sit down," she suggested and went to one of the tables.

"Isn't your boss around, or is it normal for the employees to do the job interviews?" He asked with a smile and winked at her.

"No, not really." Charlotte lowered her head in embarrassment, then jerked it up in shock as she felt how he reached for her hand over the table.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly, looking deep into her eyes. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. If I insulted you, I'm sorry."

"I... I'll go and tell them you're here," she said hastily and was about to rise as she noticed that he still took hold of her hand.

"Jon," he said simply.

"What?" Charlotte's head was suddenly filled with emptiness, presumably because his touch had rattled her.

"Why so formal? I think we should stick with Jon and Charlotte, if you don't mind?"

"N-no." As if in a trance, she noticed how he pulled her slowly to himself and then with his free hand caught a lock of her long hair and let it slide through his fingers.

"You remind me of someone I once knew," he said softly, then moved his fingers from her hair to her cheek. "You really look a lot like her."

"W-who was she?" She asked, unable to take her eyes off him.

But before he could answer, suddenly the door opened and Ava came down the stairs. When Jon abruptly let go of her and jumped up, the spell that had held her captive was broken. She blinked a few times to clear her head.

"I heard right that someone entered the bar," Ava said coolly, approaching Jon. "You must be the young man who applied for the job as a bartender."

"That's me. Jon West."

Charlotte registered irritated that Ava didn't even bother to shake hands with Jon. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and looked at him almost hostile.

"It's a shame that you came for nothing. The job is already taken."

Charlotte looked at Jon, who stood there, motionless, with his lips pressed together. Why did Ava lie? It wasn't true that the position was already taken. But even stranger was Jon's behavior, who suddenly turned away after the first shock of the news and left the bar. If she let him go now, she might never see him again, was her only thought as she ran after him. She heard Ava call her name, but it was too late. She had already left the 'Stowaway'.


	29. Devotion

**In front of the 'Stowaway'**

"Jon, wait!" Charlotte ran after him until she reached him. Breathing heavily, she stopped in front of him. "I want to apologize for my boss," she said, panting. "It's not like her to scare off guests or applicants in such a rude way."

"If the job is taken, there is nothing I can do," he said shrugging and wanted to go on.

But Charlotte didn't give up that easily. "I... I don't know why she lied," she stuttered. "But the job isn't taken."

"Is that so?" He raised amused his eyebrows.

She nodded uneasily. His immediate proximity made her nervous. But letting him go wasn't an option for her. "I'll talk to her again if you want," she offered her help.

"That's really sweet of you, but I think she won't change her mind." He turned away from her again.

"Please...!" She grabbed his arm and looked at him pleadingly.

"You're quite persistent," he said, grinning. "All right," he admitted. "Give me a day to think about it. I will come back tomorrow and try my luck again."

"Are you here by car?"

He nodded hesitantly. "Yes, why?" He asked, warily.

"Can you give me a ride?" She involuntarily held her breath and waited for his answer. It wasn't her nature to climb into the car of a stranger or even ask him to take her home. She was too reasonable to do that. But in Jon's presence she forgot everything and followed her heart, not her mind. And as he looked at her now, she was aware that he had guessed her thoughts and intentions.

"Where to?" He asked in a hoarse voice as he reached out and caught a lock of her hair the wind had blown in her face.

"Where you want to go," she said quietly, leaning closer to him. When she raised her head and looked into his eyes, she saw contradictory feelings reflecting in them. "To your place?" She suggested, taking the decision from him.

"I live in a motel," he muttered, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Perfect." For a moment, Charlotte was shocked about her bold response. She wasn't a floozy, but she longed to be loved by a man again that it almost hurt.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he said as he kept playing with her lock of hair.

"Just imagine, I'm the girl you were in love with once," she whispered softly. She didn't know why she said that, but her words took effect. When he reached for her hand and then headed for his car, she was willing to follow him. The drive to the motel didn't last very long, and when they got out and walked to his rented room, he looked at her questioningly.

"Are you sure you really want this?"

Charlotte nodded as she held his scrutiny. He would be her first one-night stand, she thought as she followed him. But she had been reasonable for a long time. She also wanted to do something shocking. Especially if her mother would find out about it. The great disillusionment came when she entered the room and looked around. A bed, a table and a chair. There was nothing more in this shabby room. But now it was too late. With trembling hands, she began to undress herself, aware of Jon's yearning gaze.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are beautiful?" He asked, walking slowly towards her.

Charlotte nodded, her throat suddenly tight. Shame came over her, and she tried to cover her nakedness with her hands.

"Don't do that!" With one step he was with her, gently pulling her hands away and then putting his hand around her neck. "There's nothing to be ashamed of," he whispered to her, then lowered his lips to her mouth.

All doubts and concerns were wiped off as she snuggled her body against his and returned his kiss passionately. "Now it's your turn," she whispered a little later as she began to undress him as well and then let her hands glide over his muscular, naked body.

"You can hardly wait, am I right?" He moaned with pleasure as he grabbed her by her arms and shoved her over to the bed.

Charlotte heard the rustling of foil, and it flashed through her mind that it was good he had thought of a condom. But that was her last thought before he entered her and made her forget everything around her.

 **'Stowaway', Montauk**

Ava stood rooted to the spot while she stared confused after the car where Jon and Charlotte had just driven off. She couldn't explain why Charlotte had just gotten into his car. What happened between the two? And why hadn't she noticed? Shaking her head, she turned to go back to the bar when she saw Jack standing in the doorway, looking at her questioningly.

"What happened?" He asked, frowning worriedly.

Ava shrugged. She had no idea what that all meant. But one thing was clear, she would confront Jon about it the next time when she meets him.

Jack gazed into the distance. "Was that Charlotte?"

"Looks like she's made friends with our bartender job applicant," Ava said in a deliberate casual tone.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm sure Victoria won't be pleased when she finds out that Charlotte is involved with such a guy."

"You don't even know him," Ava said, suddenly feeling compelled to defend Jon. "Maybe he is not that bad."

"That's not what I meant," Jack said. "All I meant was that she wasn't so excited back then that her only daughter had a relationship with my brother. A bartender wasn't good enough for the Graysons," he added, rolling his eyes.

"From that point of view, celebrating our wedding in Grayson Manor may not be such a good idea," Ava said thoughtfully.

"The Manor is Emily's now. And I wouldn't describe her as a 'typical' Grayson," he said with a shrug. "Just because she married a Grayson doesn't automatically make her a Grayson."

"What you mentioned earlier," Ava picked up the subject again. "This about your brother and Charlotte. I don't think Jon has feelings for her."

"Jon?"

Ava noticed her pulse speeding up. She almost had revealed her secret. "Jon West," she hurried to say. "That's the applicant's name."

"You can ask her later." He grinned. "Apart from the fact that a bartender might not necessarily meet Victoria's taste, I would wish Charlotte a bit of luck. As far as I know, she hasn't had a serious relationship since Declan's death."

Ava looked at him in horror. Did he even know what he was saying? Jon West wasn't the right man to help Charlotte over her heartache. But she couldn't tell Jack without revealing her secret. "Let's go back in," she said softly, reaching for Jack's arm. "I want to call Emily and arrange a new appointment with her for the bridal dress shopping."

"Is everything okay between us again?" He asked, smiling at her.

Ava nodded and then quickly lowered her head, as if he could see that she was lying. She thought about how she could warn Charlotte, without revealing too much of her secret. With a heavy heart and an even worse conscience, she snuggled into Jack's arms and entered the bar with him.


	30. Chaos Of Emotions

****At the motel****

The sunlight shone through the window, waking Jon up. Still with his eyes closed, he began to stretch and then stopped in shock when he touched something. He quickly opened his eyes and looked to the side. There she lay, sound asleep, her naked body half covered with a thin blanket. She was beautiful, he had to admit that. And she really looked a lot like Ava. Hesitantly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face. It wasn't his habit to take girls with him to his place. Why Charlotte? Was it just because she reminded him of Ava, or was it because he hadn't had sex for a long time? He was young and had his needs, and on Rebun Island he hadn't had a chance to get intimate with Ava. Aside from a few kisses they had exchanged, nothing had happened between them, which was mainly because he had still mourned Courtney, his fiancé who had died in such a tragical way. But when he left Rebun Island a few days ago and started his search for Ava, he was ready to give their relationship a new chance. And what did he find? She had fallen in love again, was engaged and about to marry. But even though she'd said she loved the guy, he had sensed there was something between them when they had kissed each other on the beach. He had been ready to fight for her. But now he wasn't sure if that was even possible after he had slept with Charlotte Grayson. He took the blanket to cover her body completely. She looked so incredibly young and vulnerable as she was lying there. Sighing softly, he turned back onto his back and clapped his hands over his face. What had he done? He had come to the Hamptons with the intention of getting Ava back. Now he had lost her forever.

"Jon?"

He jerked his hands from his face and turned his head to Charlotte. "What?"

"Good morning." She smiled tentatively. "Do you have something to eat? I'm hungry."

He just stared at her for a moment. Did she really think that they would sit and have breakfast together? It had been a day and a night full of fun and passion, which he had really enjoyed. But it had only been sex, nothing more and nothing less. And he definitely didn't want her to believe there could be more between them. "I'll take you home right away, and then we can stop in the Drive Inn on your way home and get us something," he said coolly.

"If you like," Charlotte muttered, jumping out of bed and picking up her clothes which were scattered over the floor. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Thoughtfully he looked after her. He had noticed her disappointed look when he had made the suggestion to get something to eat from a Fast Food Store. But what should he have done? If he was too nice to her now, she would probably hope for a relationship. He was only 25, but he already knew women's minds. A hot night and already they talked about 'love'. He raised his head as she came out of the bathroom and smiled at her. "Hey, that was fast. Then I can go in there, take a shower and then we can leave."

"Sure." Charlotte threw back her long hair and reached for her purse. "Take your time. In the meantime I'm calling a taxi."

Confused, he saw her pulling out her phone and started dialing. He jumped out of bed and took it before she could finish the call. "What's wrong?" He asked, frowning. "You are here with me and I'll bring you home."

"Not necessary." She tried to get her phone back, but he continued to hold on to it.

"Can you explain why you're behaving so odd now?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Do you think I'm stupid or what?" She exclaimed. "I can sense when I'm not welcome. And with your words, you have made it quite clear that you don't intend to spend more time with me than necessary."

 _Women!_ he thought annoyed and ran frustrated through his short hair. "Okay, yes, I admit it, what I said was stupid. But it's not true that I want to get rid of you." When he saw hope gleaming in her eyes, he wanted to slap himself. That's exactly what he wanted to avoid. Now she thought there could be more between them. "I'll get dressed quickly and then I'll drive you home, okay?" He suggested. He saw how she hesitated. "Come on, Charlotte! Don't act like a stubborn kid." He grinned slightly. "Speaking of age... how old are you?"

"Old enough for you," she replied flippantly, raising her chin.

"I hope so." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "If not, we'll get into trouble. Do you know what you get for seduction of minors?"

"I'm 20," she confessed, pursing her lips. "Are you satisfied now?"

He forced himself not to show that he was a little surprised that she was so young. "Wait here!" He said, raising his forefinger threateningly. "I'm going to the bathroom now, and don't you dare to leave without me! Keep in mind that I know where you live!" Apparently the threat had worked, because when he entered the bedroom a short time later, she sat on the bed and waited.

"Can I have my phone back now?"

They drove straight home without stopping, and when they parked in front of Grayson Manor, Charlotte turned to him. "Will we meet again?" She asked softly.

He wanted to tell her that this was a one-time thing and there was no reason to continue it. But he had to admit that he felt comfortable in Charlotte's company. "At the latest in the bar, right?" He said with a grin. "Or you could give me your phone."

Astonished, she looked at him. "What do you want with it?" She asked confused, but then pulled her cell phone out of her purse.

"You'll see." He quickly typed his number and gave it back to her. "Call me," he said, smiling.

Charlotte didn't think twice as she threw her arms around his neck and quickly pressed her lips to his. "You can bet your life on it," she promised and grinned. "Thanks for bringing me home and for this amazing, unforgettable night!"

When she jumped out of the car, he looked confused after her. What did just happen? Did he just give her his cell phone number and asked her to call him? He dropped his head on the steering wheel and groaned softly. And why did he allow her to kiss him again? Not only did he give her hope that there could be more between them, no, he lost his last chance to ever get closer to Ava. He winced slightly as his phone began to buzz. "Yes?" He answered.

"I'm in the house now, and there's nobody there. Don't you want to come up? You just have to ring, and when someone from the staff opens just say you want to see Charlotte. I'll come down then."

As tempting as the thought of repeating the last night was, he knew it was wrong. "Another time, maybe," he murmured, then hung up before she could say anything back. He hesitated for just a moment before starting the engine and then driving off.


	31. Danger

****In front of the Bridal Shop, Hamptons****

"Are you ready?" Emily asked Ava, who was sitting with Julia in the backseat of her car. "I'm looking for a parking lot and then we can go inside."

"I'm really grateful that you have time to go with the girls and me shopping for a bridal gown," Ava replied.

Emily smiled. "No problem. I'm glad you and Jack came to an agreement," she said. "I can't wait for the wedding party. It would have been a shame if it would have fallen through."

"What happened between you and Jack?" Julia asked, joining the conversation.

"Nothing important. Just the usual arguments before a wedding," Emily chimed in quickly.

Ava rolled her eyes, but she was grateful to Emily for not revealing her little secret in front of the others. "We had a serious talk, and now everything is fine again," she said to Julia.

Emily steered the car into a parking lot and turned off the engine. "Well, we're here." She looked at Charlotte, who sat in the passenger seat next to her and had been oddly quiet the whole time. "Are you okay, Char?" She inquired worriedly.

"I'm good." Charlotte forced a smile. No one needed to know what was going through her mind. "I'm just tired."

"Daniel told me that you didn't sleep at home last night. Where have you been?" Emily asked.

Charlotte felt her cheeks getting warm. "I've been staying with a friend," she lied, praying that Ava wouldn't expose her. She was sure her friend knew with whom she had spent the night with.

"I'm so excited," Julia exclaimed as she walked towards the bridal showroom. "I haven't worn a nice dress in years," she said, grinning, then turned to Ava. "Do you have a special concept how the bridesmaid dresses should look like?" She asked.

Ava shook her head absent-minded as she looked at Charlotte. She was hiding something from her. But she hoped that it wasn't what she secretly feared. "It should match the color 'white'," she replied, remembering Julia's question.

Emily laughed. "Well, it can't be that difficult if this is the only selection criterion." She looked around. "Girls, have a look around and choose what you like. And pick something colorful."

The saleswoman in the shop assisted them in their selection and fitting, demonstrating a patience that astonished Emily. The hours went by quickly, and in the end everyone had found what they've been looking for.

Ava walked to the large mirror and looked at her wedding dress. "Do you think Jack will like it?"

"Well, I liked the other one better," Julia intervened. "You have a slender figure. You should show that."

"But I've always wanted to look like a princess on my wedding day," Ava said, sighing. "And this is looking like a princess's dress."

"This one would look good on Charlotte." Julia turned around. "Talking about Charlotte… Where is she?"

Emily pointed to a corner at the end of the shop. "She wanted to make a quick phone call," she explained, tugging at her dress. "Look at me," she sighed. "I'm sure in two months I'm looking like a whale."

"Have you already found a name for the baby?" Ava asked curiously.

"No." Emily shook her head. "The names I like Daniel doesn't like and vice versa. So far we haven't decided for a name yet."

"There is still time," Julia said smiling and then stepped in front of the mirror that stood next to Ava's. "Wow, this dress is beautiful! Do you think Nolan will like it?"

"Still haven't given up on him?" Ava asked smirking.

"Nolan is the first man since Ray that I'm seriously interested in," said Julia. "And he loves Jill. It's not so easy to find a man who accepts a woman with a child."

"Yes, but you forget one thing," Emily pointed out. "Nolan isn't interested in you. Anyway, his relationships are sometimes a bit odd. "She rolled her eyes. "I mean, before that he had a relationship with Patrick. What does that say about him?"

"That he is bisexual?" Ava suggested and then looked back in the mirror. "You know what? You are right. It doesn't suit me. I'll try the other one again."

Groaning, Emily dropped to the couch next to the dressing rooms and rubbed her belly. "Hurry up!"

"Okay, I finished my phone call," Charlotte said, joining the others. "You know what, Ava, I liked the other dress better," she stated after looking critically at the wedding dress.

"That's what I said too." Julia nodded in satisfaction. "I'm not a fashion expert, but I have a good sense of taste."

Ava turned to Charlotte. "That must have been an important call," she said and looked at the clock. "You talked on the phone for almost 20 minutes." She noticed that Charlotte blushed and saw her suspicions confirmed. But here was neither the right place nor the right time to talk to her. She took the other dress and went back to the dressing room.

"It's going to be a colorful wedding," Julia said, after surveying the other dresses. "Emily has a pink dress, Charlotte's is green and mine is orange."

"It's not a funeral," Emily interjected. "I'm fed up with wearing black. I did it as an act of solidarity towards Daniel, who lost his father."

"Yes, you're right," Charlotte agreed. "He's been dead for a few weeks now. It's time to wear something else than black."

"What do you think?" Ava asked, stepping out of the dressing room with the new wedding dress.

Charlotte nodded, satisfied. "Perfect," she said, looking around. "Do you all agree?"

"Yeah, I like it too," Emily confessed and got up. "Are we done now?"

Suddenly all eyes were aimed at Julia, who had uttered a scream and then had run to the door.

"What happened?" Emily asked alarmed and followed her quickly. The others followed her too.

"Julia?" Ava looked worriedly at her friend, who was staring out of the big window with her eyes wide open and her hands pressed against her chest.

"You're white as a sheet," Charlotte said, grabbing Julia's arm and pulling her away from the window. "What's wrong?"

"I... I thought that I... saw Ray," she stammered, looking anxiously at the window. "But that... that's impossible." She glanced at Charlotte with a desperate look. "He... he's in... Ohio."

Charlotte put her arm around her. "Hey, don't worry. It was just someone who looked like him," she tried to reassure her friend.

"He... he looked inside and stared at me," Julia said in a faint voice.

Ava quickly exchanged glances with Emily. Both thought the same at the moment; Julia's husband had found her. Just as Jon had looked for her and had found her. "I think we're done here. I'm going to tell the shop assistant to write the bill," she said hastily. " We'll discuss everything else another time." She reached for Emily's arm. "Take Julia and bring her to the car," she whispered to her. "And make sure that nobody is following you. We'll meet outside."

Emily nodded. Unlike Charlotte, she took Julia's statement very seriously. Among other things, she had learned on Rebun Island to realize a danger and then to prevent it. And she had Ava by her side, who had completed the same training. They would protect Julia and her daughter. She grabbed Julia's arm as she stepped out of the dressing room. "I'm bringing Julia to the car," she said to Charlotte. "Change your clothes and then follow me."

Charlotte watched them as they left the shop, frowning. "What's going on here?" She asked confused.

Ava looked at her thoughtfully. "You were with Jon last night, am I right?" She noticed that Charlotte blushed again. "I thought so." She nodded. "Listen to me, Charlotte," she said, her face grave. "This has nothing to do with you or Jon, it's about Julia. I'm afraid her husband found her. And you know what he did to her and Jill." She raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

Charlotte nodded, her throat tight. "Yes, he tortured and beat her up," she said in a trembling voice.

Ava nodded. "And that's why we have to help her." She cleared her throat. "You know where Jon lives, right? I need his address," she insisted.

Charlotte just stared at her for a moment before realizing why Ava had asked her about Jon. "You are the woman he was in love with!" She exclaimed.

Ava nodded hesitantly. "I promise you that I'll explain everything to you, but right now we don't have time for that. Julia and Jill's lives are in danger."

Charlotte went to the table and pulled her phone out of her purse. "I have his number," she said in a low voice. "You should call him."

Ava took the phone from her hand. "I will. We just have to get out of here quickly and get Julia to a safe place."

"Where do you want to take her?" Charlotte asked.

"We'll take her to the bar," Ava decided. "And then we have to keep her under guard."

They both hurried to change and Ava paid before leaving the bridal shop and heading to the car, where Emily and Julia were waiting for her.

"What's going on here?" Julia asked confused. "Can someone enlighten me?"

"You were right," Emily said after a moment's hesitation. "It wasn't just a stranger who watched you through the window." She looked at Julia with a serious expression. "It was Ray," she said, before she started the engine and drove off.


	32. Ambush

****'Stowaway', Montauk****

"How could he find me? I don't understand that! I thought I had covered up all my tracks," Julia said desperately as she looked at Emily.

"Maybe he hired a private investigator," she guessed. "Daniel did that too when he didn't know where I was. And sometimes it doesn't take much to find a missing person."

"Oh God!" Groaning, Julia sat down in a chair. "When will this nightmare end?"

"Why haven't you reported him to the police then?" Charlotte asked.

"I wanted to, but there was no time for that," she confessed, wringing her hands. "After I got out of the hospital I just wanted to escape from him. I was also afraid that he would do something bad to Jill."

"And no one at the hospital asked where the injuries came from?" Ava asked.

Julia nodded. "Of course they asked, but I lied and said I fell down the stairs."

Groaning, Charlotte ran a hand through her hair. "If you had reported him, he would be in jail now and couldn't do anything to you and little Jill."

"Allegations don't help much now," Ava said, giving Charlotte a stern look. "We have to help Julia now. And I think she's safe here."

Emily walked over to Julia and hugged her. "I think Ava is right. You are safe here. Can I leave you alone for a while? I have to go back home, I asked Victoria to take care of Julian, but she just texted me that she had an important appointment in the city. And my father is at Grayson Global and Daniel at the publishing house. There is no babysitter I could ask to help me out."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize," Julia said, smiling. "As Ava said, I'm safe at the bar. You can drive home and take care of the baby."

Emily turned to Ava. "You take good care of her, promise?"

Ava nodded. "Jack will be back later. He had something to do in the city as well."

"And I'll stay and pay attention too," Charlotte put in quickly.

"Fine. Call me right away if there's any news," Emily said, hugging her friends one last time before she left the bar.

Emily had just left when Ava pulled Charlotte's cell phone out of her jacket pocket. "I'm calling Jon now," she said, giving her friend a meaningful look.

"Who is Jon?" Julia asked, frowning, because she heard the name for the first time.

Charlotte looked at Ava. She, too, was interested in what exactly was behind the relationship between Ava and Jon.

"We were together on Rebun Island," Ava began to tell and looked at Julia. "That's where I met Emily too. We were there to learn self-protection under the guidance of a certain Satoshi Takeda. He taught us toughness, discipline and self-control and various fighting techniques to accomplish the task. Only then could one commit to go the 'path of retribution'. Aiden Mathis was also one of Takeda's students. And Jon too and a few others with whom I have worked and lived together on the island."

Charlotte stared at her in disbelief. "Jon is a trained combatant?" She gasped. "I didn't know he was on the island. You never mentioned him."

Ava nodded. "He was one of the best and one of Takeda's favorites."

"And your boyfriend," Charlotte slipped out and immediately slapped her hand over her mouth as she caught Ava's scowl.

"Not boyfriend, just a friend," she admitted. "And maybe even a little bit more. But we didn't have an affair, if that's what you think."

"Nevertheless, he loves you."

Ava lowered her head when she saw Julia's confused expression that clearly indicated she had no idea what the two were talking about.

"Maybe," she said hesitantly. "But he knows that I'm engaged and will marry soon. And I really love Jack. You have to believe me."

"You don't have to convince me," Charlotte said dryly, "but Jon."

"Excuse me for a moment, I'm making a phone call," Ava said and disappeared around the corner.

Charlotte quickly glanced at Julia, who had stood up and was looking at her with a frown. "What you've heard here remains among us, okay? Emily can't know about that," she insisted.

Julia shook her head. "I won't tell anybody."

"Well, I've reached him, filled him in about everything, and he'll be right there," Ava told the two a little later. She handed the phone back to Charlotte. "I have to go and pick up Carl from kindergarten. Unfortunately, Jack won't make it on time. Can you take care of Julia in the meantime?"

"Sure." Charlotte nodded eagerly. "Just go. We're fine."

"Jon will come soon. Lock the door so that nobody can come in. I'll call Jack afterwards and tell him everything."

Ava had just left and Charlotte had locked up behind her when Julia suddenly groaned softly. "Jill," she blurted, turning white. "I completely forgot that she is still in the day care center! What if Ray finds her there and kidnaps her?"

"He won't," Charlotte tried to calm her friend." The nursery teachers will take good care of her."

"And if not?"

Charlotte saw the despair in Julia's eyes and gave in. "All right, tell me what day care she's in and I'll pick her up myself."

"I'll write it down." With trembling fingers Julia scribbled the address on a notebook and tore off the note. "It's not very far from here. You can walk."

"Okay, I'll go then. Remember to lock up behind me," Charlotte reminded her once again, before she took the note, pushed back the latch and then left the bar. She hadn't gone very far when she suddenly noticed footsteps behind her. Full of panic she picked up her pace, but her persecutor stayed close behind her. She was about to turn around to see who was following her, when she got a blow to her head and suddenly everything around her went black…


	33. Retribution

**Nearby the 'Stowaway'**

"Charlotte?!"

The first thing she noticed when she awoke from her unconsciousness was that she was lying in someone's arms and a voice calling her name. She recognized the voice immediately. "J-Jon?" She stammered.

"Thank God, you're alive!" He exclaimed.

She opened her eyes cautiously and blinked. But her vision was blurry and her head hurt like hell. Groaning softly, she touched her forehead and noticed something wet and sticky.

"Don't!" Jon reached for her hand. "That's blood. You have a laceration," he stated and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it on the wound. "Apparently someone knocked you out." He put his arm around her. "I'll take you to the hospital. The wound needs to be sutured."

"No..." Charlotte tried to free herself from his arms. "Julia..." she stammered as she remembered what had happened before. "She... she's in the... bar. We have to... get her..."

"Later," he promised. "First, I'll take you to the hospital."

"No time... we have to... save Julia..." She felt how suddenly everything was dark before her eyes, even though her eyes were wide open. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness again was Jon's voice, desperately calling her name.

When Charlotte fainted, he reacted immediately. He picked her up and carried her to his car, where he gently put her down on the back seat and spread a blanket over her. There was no time to look for Julia, though he had promised Ava to take care of her. But Charlotte's health came first, and he didn't know how badly she was injured. When he had made his way to the bar after the call from Ava, he hadn't known how dangerous the situation really had been. Ava hadn't told him much on the phone. He only knew that Julia's husband used to abused her and her daughter before she had fled from him. Now that Charlotte had been attacked, it was clear to him that the husband had probably found her. Why else had he ambushed Charlotte and knocked her down? He decided to contact Ava from the hospital and tell her what had happened. When he finally arrived at the hospital, he jumped out of the car to get help. Luckily there were doctors around immediately to look after Charlotte, who was still unconscious. After giving some details, they brought Ava to a treatment room while he took the opportunity to call Ava.

 _"Jon? Something happened? Are you already in the bar?"_

"There is some change of plan," he said shortly. "I was on my way when I found Charlotte lying on the ground. Someone, presumably Julia's husband, had knocked her down. When I found her, she was unconscious. She also has a pretty bad laceration on her forehead. I took her to the hospital and now I'm waiting for the doctor."

 _"Oh my God! That can't be true! Where is Julia?"_

"I have no idea. I had no time to look after her. I had to get Charlotte to the hospital first. As soon as I know more about her condition, I'll drive back and look for Julia."

 _"No, stay at the hospital. I'm already on my way back to the 'Stowaway' anyway. I'll look for her and then get back to you, okay?"_

"Okay," he agreed. "Do you want to tell Emily, too?"

 _"I'll call her later, if I know what's wrong with Julia. Besides, she should know that Charlotte was attacked."_

"It was awful, Ava. How she lay there, unconscious, bleeding…" he confessed in a broken voice. "I had a Deja Vu."

 _"Courtney had a shot in the head and was in a coma afterwards. You said that Charlotte had a laceration. That's not the same."_

"Yes, but it looked like the same. I will never forget how she hung lifelessly in my arms and reacted to nothing. I thought she was dead. And basically she was."

 _"Jon, stop that! Don't torment yourself. What happened to your fiancée back then is entirely different from what happened to Charlotte."_

"I have to hang up, okay? I need to know how she's doing." He hung up quickly and went to look for a doctor. "How is she?" He asked worried, when he found the doctor.

"Are you a relative?"

Jon hesitated only a moment before he nodded. He knew that he would only be given medical information if he was a relative. "She's my... we're engaged," he lied, waiting for the doctor's reaction.

"Your fiancée was lucky. She has a laceration on her forehead. In addition, she suffered a concussion when her head was hit. We are now doing a cat scan to rule out a brain hemorrhage. If the result is negative, she can be discharged soon."

Jon had already mentally turned off at the mention of 'brain hemorrhage'. Fear closed his throat. Like Courtney, he thought. Only that her injury had been triggered by a shot directed to her head. "Can... can I see her?" He managed with difficulty.

"Of course." The doctor nodded. "But only briefly. She should rest now."

The doctor took him to Charlotte's room and left him alone with her. Hesitating, he walked over to her bed and was relieved to see that there were no monitoring devices around to keep her alive. He had stood so many times by Courtney's bedside, watching the ventilator controlling the breath, that the sight would be burned in his memory forever. But Charlotte was not in a coma. She breathed on her own and was awake.

"Jon?" She gasped in surprise.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at her worriedly. "How do you feel?"

Charlotte felt the bandage around her head. "Headache," she murmured.

"You have a laceration and a concussion," he told her. "The doctors are going to do a cat scan to make sure there is no brain bleeding."

"You... you saved my life...," she stammered.

He smiled sadly. Maybe it was the retribution that he couldn't save Courtney. She had been shot down in the street, then had spent months in a coma, only to die. He grabbed Charlotte's hand and squeezed it slightly. "I was in the right place at the right time," he said softly. When the door opened and a nurse entered the room, he acted impulsively when he leaned down to Charlotte and kissed her lips. "I'll be back soon," he promised, getting up.

Confused about the kiss, Charlotte looked up at him. "Okay," she murmured, then watched him as he left the room.

"Your fiancé is really a sweetheart," said the nurse, smiling at her. "I wish my friend was so caring and loving."

For a moment, Charlotte was too stunned to reply. But suddenly she realized that Jon had lied to be her fiancé to get information about her condition. "Yes," she said and forced a smile as well. "He really is."

"I'm here to prepare you for the cat scan," said the nurse. "Are you ready or should I wait?"

She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. And the sooner they did the scan, the better it was. She only hoped that nothing bad would be found. "Yes, I'm ready," she said. "You can start."

 **In the hospital**

Emily, Daniel, Victoria, and David had rushed to the hospital immediately after hearing that Charlotte was injured and were now all standing around her bed staring down at her worriedly. Luckily, Emily had told everyone what had happened. But one question was still unanswered: Where was Julia? She had disappeared without a trace since the attack.

"Charlotte, dear, what happened to you?" Concerned, Victoria bent down to her daughter and stroked gently her cheek.

"Someone attacked her," Daniel said, looking at his sister. "How are you?"

"Better, I think." Charlotte touched her head. "It's just a laceration and a slight concussion," she told her worried family. "What about Julia? Did you find her?"

Emily shook her head regretfully. "Not yet. All we know is that her husband kidnapped her from the bar. But don't worry, the police had already been informed."

"They want to set up roadblocks and send a task force to the airport," Daniel added. "That guy won't come far. At least he won't succeed in getting out of the country."

"I don't understand what Charlotte's got to do with it," Victoria objected, glaring at Emily. "Isn't she a friend of yours from Paris?"

"What are you insinuating, Mom?" Daniel interjected. "Are you saying that it's Emily's fault that Charlotte was attacked?"

David, sensing trouble, intervened before a fight could break out. "Blaming each other doesn't help much in that situation," he said calmly. "It's not Emily's fault that Charlotte is in the hospital."

"But she brought the girl here in the first place," Victoria contradicted. "And all the trouble." She pointed with her finger at Emily. "From what I understand, she knew exactly that Julia was being followed by her abusive husband. She shouldn't have allowed her to live here at all. That's how she got us all into trouble!"

"That's enough now, Mom!" Daniel stepped protectively in front of his wife. "Leave Emily alone! It has nothing to do with her!"

"It's okay, Daniel. She's just looking for someone she can put the blame on." Emily sighed softly. "And I really thought we had something like a 'truce', Victoria. Apparently I was wrong."

"Stop fighting!" Charlotte pressed her hands to her head, groaning. "I almost got killed, Julia is under control of her crazy ex-husband, and you're fighting over who's to blame! We have to find Julia, the guy is capable of killing her, if he has no scruple to attack me!"

"Charlotte is right," David intervened. "What has happened, we can't undo. The main thing is that Charlotte gets well again and that the police finds Julia."

"Does Nolan know about the kidnapping?" Charlotte asked Emily.

Emily nodded. "He knows it. And he is scared. Luckily, nothing happened to Jill. He picked her up straight from the nursery. She is safe with him now."

"That would have been my job if Ray hadn't knocked me down," murmured Charlotte, sighing in frustration. "If Jon hadn't found me, then..." She stopped in the middle of the sentence when she saw her mother's confused look.

"Who is Jon?" Victoria asked and looked at David for help, who only shook his head.

"He's a friend of Ava's," Emily told them, without going into too much detail. "He was also at the 'Stowaway' at the time. He found Charlotte and took her to the hospital."

'And he claims to be my fiancé,' added Charlotte in silence. But that would remain her secret. Not even Emily was allowed to know about it. She didn't quite know how to label her relationship with Jon anyway. Were they just friends or more? Was the kiss he gave her just fake or real? Her head began to ache from her brooding, and she sank back into the pillow, groaning.

"I think Charlotte needs some rest now," Daniel decided, watching his sister grimacing in pain. "We should really go now and let her sleep."

"Don't worry about Julia," Emily said comfortingly. "The police is taking care of everything. I'm sure they'll find her quickly."

"Rest, my dear." Victoria bent down and kissed Charlotte's cheek. "David and I will come back later."

Everyone was about to leave the hospital room when Charlotte sat up again. "Emily? Could you stay for a moment?" She asked.

"Sure." Emily turned to Daniel. "Go ahead. I'll catch up later." She saw her mother-in-law hesitating briefly. "You too, Victoria." When everyone had left, she looked questioningly at Charlotte. "What's wrong? Why do you want to talk to me alone?"

"You know it, right?" Charlotte asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Jon is not just a friend of Ava's," Charlotte said slowly, then waited for Emily's reaction.

"What you do in private is your business," Emily said cautiously. "I just want to warn you. He and Ava were very close. And I think he still has feelings for her."

"I know." Charlotte bowed her head. "But what if he fell in love with someone else? That would be possible, right?"

Emily looked at her sister thoughtfully. "Are you talking about you?"

Charlotte nodded hesitantly. "But no matter what happens between Jon and me in the future, it has to stay between us. My mom can't know about it! She would only ruin everything again."

"What do you mean by 'ruin'?" Emily asked, frowning.

"He wouldn't fit her expectations." Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I'd like to spare Jon what happened to Declan back then."

"Your mom is now living in the beach house. Your father practically disinherited her. I don't think she still has that snobbish behavior," Emily said, still frowning.

"Nevertheless, I don't want to risk anything. Promise me that you won't say anything. This has to stay between us!" She pleaded.

"All right, I'm not saying anything. If your relationship gets more serious, you will have to tell them. But now you should really rest. If you need to talk, you can call me anytime." As Charlotte nodded and lay down again, Emily left the hospital room to join the others.


	34. Threat

**In front of the hospital**

"Are you going to tell me what you were talking about with Charlotte?" Daniel inquired curiously as he and Emily sat in the car.

"No."

He looked at her in surprise. "Come on, Em, I won't tell anyone. But after all, Charlotte is my sister. And we never had secrets from each other."

"I can't tell you, Daniel. I promised her." She grimaced. "Besides, us women have to keep our little secrets sometimes."

"It's about a man?" He guessed.

Sighing, she wiped a strand of hair from her forehead. "You can be as persistent as you like, my lips are sealed."

"She wasn't home overnight. It certainly has to do with a man," he mused.

"Daniel!" She gave him an annoyed look. "First, it's none of our business, and secondly, we have more important things to do than speculate about Charlotte's love life!"

"Fine," he said, sighing. "Let's drive home. My mom and David are already there, too." He started the engine and was about to drive off when Emily put her hand on the steering wheel.

"Wait!"

"What's going on?" He asked confused. "I thought you wanted to go home."

"I didn't say that. I just wanted to change the topic." She looked at him thoughtfully. "Let's go to the airport," she said determinedly.

"So you can go on a manhunt by yourself?"

She looked at him in astonishment. He apparently knew her better than she had thought. "At least I can do something to help catch him," she admitted. She saw Daniel open his mouth to object and continued quickly. "You heard your mother. She blames me for what happened to Julia. I won't rest until we have brought her criminal husband behind bars!"

"Leave that to the police. They have already sent a task force to the airport. I'm sure that they will catch him there. And then he will get his well deserved penalty."

"You know, I wouldn't ask you if there was another way. But if they arrest Ray at the airport, then I want to be there for Julia. I can't abandon her now."

"That's too dangerous." He shook his head determinedly. "You see what this guy is capable of. He knocked Charlotte down and kidnapped his own wife. He certainly won't recoil from other things."

"The police will be there. What should happen then?" She continued with her begging. "Please Daniel! I promise you that I will hold myself back. And otherwise you are there too."

He looked at her skeptically and then nodded. "Fine, let's go to the airport. But you are aware that he probably chose another way to get her out of the city? He isn't stupid. The airport is a public place. He can certainly imagine that they'll be looking for him there first."

A thought flashed through her mind and she looked at Daniel with her eyes wide open. "That's it!" She exclaimed. "I know where he took her." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Nolan's number.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked curiously.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reach Nolan, Emily put the phone back in her pocket. "He doesn't answer...," she said thoughtfully. "That's exactly what I was afraid of."

"Are you going to finally fill me in what that means?" Daniel asked impatiently.

"I agree with you that he didn't take her to the airport," she began hesitantly. "However, there is no better way to leave the country than to take a plane. If he has been watching Julia the whole time, he also knows that she lives with Nolan. And then he also knows that Nolan owns a private jet." She gave him a meaningful look. "Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

He nodded uneasily. "You think he stole Nolan's private jet to take Julia out of the country?"

She shook her head mechanically. "No, worse. I'm afraid he kidnapped him." She closed her eyes and groaned softly. "Jill is with Nolan, too. If Ray really did what I believe, then the little girl is in danger as well."

"That sounds plausible." Daniel nodded. "He can't fly the jet himself, so he needs a pilot. We should call the police and tell them what we know."

Emily shook her head. "On mere suspicion, the police won't move out. We need to have solid proof. And we only get it when we go to Nolan's villa and find out if I'm right."

"Are you nuts? The guy is dangerous!"

"That's why we're going home at first and get your gun. We need something to defend ourselves. But we are two and he is alone, plus the surprise effect is on our side."

"I don't think that's a good idea. But I'm afraid if I say no, you'll do this without me."

"You know me so well," she said smiling. "Let's not lose time. Let's drive home and get the gun before we go to Nolan's villa."

"And I really can't talk you out of doing this?" When she shook her head, he sighed and left the hospital parking lot.

 **Nolan's Mansion**

"Please Ray, let him go!" Julia begged as she wrapped her arms around her body to control the shaking. Fearfully, she glanced at Nolan, who was sitting in a chair, his hands and feet chained so he couldn't run away. Ray stood in front of him with a broad, diabolical grin on his face, aiming a gun at his head.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he said coolly. "We need him. Or can _you_ fly a jet?"

Julia shook her head numbly. She still hadn't overcome the shock that he had kidnapped her and then brought her to Nolan. Apparently he had been watching her, knowing where she had been all this time. How else had he learned about this location?

"Stand behind him so I can keep an eye on you too," he said harshly, then held the gun so he could kill them with one shot if necessary. Not that he really meant to kill his wife. He had come to get her and Jill so that they could live as a family again. For too long he had to live without his wife and child.

"I'll do whatever you ask, but please let Julia and the kid go," Nolan pleaded, realizing how dangerous the situation was. "I can get you a new ID. Then you can start a new life somewhere else."

"Who says I want that?" Ray laughed scornfully. "I'm here to bring my wife and daughter back to where they belong." He walked over to Julia and gently stroked her cheek. "You changed your name, Jessy. How so? Because you were hoping that way I wouldn't find you?"

Julia kept still while she felt her heart beat hard against her ribs. She was afraid, but she didn't want to show him how much she feared him. She had to stay strong now. Her life and that of Nolan and Jill depended on it. "I didn't kow you wanted to find me," she said in a slightly quavering voice. "Last time you beat me up and left me bleeding on the floor. I could have died. But it didn't bother you."

"How can you say that? I've always cared about you." He looked ruefully into her eyes. "I love you, Jessy. I have always loved you."

"No, Ray. You wanted to own me. You wanted to have me because you thought it's your right. But the only one you love is yourself. I figured that out long ago."

Nolan turned his head to one side and gave Julia a warning look. The game she played was a dangerous one. This man was unpredictable, it wasn't good to provoke him.

"You swore allegiance to me before the altar," he said contemptuously, glancing at Nolan. "It's my right as a husband to remind you of that pledge."

"We're just good friends," Nolan interjected. "Julia lives here only temporarily, until she finds another home."

"Jessica," Ray corrected, frowning. "It doesn't matter now, because she's coming with me." He aimed the gun at Nolan again. "And you do what I tell you."

"Where is Jill?" Julia asked suddenly alarmed and looking around. "What have you done to her?"

"She's in her room, playing with some toys." He grimaced. "She didn't know who I am," he miffed. "She didn't even recognize her own daddy. And that's your fault!" He aimed the gun at Julia.

"Okay, are we just quibbling all the time or are we going to the hangar?" Nolan chimed in, trying to divert Ray from Julia. It made him nervous that she was now in the line of fire. Frantically he pondered how he could get to his phone to call for help. But as long as he was tied up, he couldn't do anything to help her.

"Can I at least pack a few things?" Julia asked quietly and stepped out behind Nolan's back with her hands up.

"You don't need any of the stuff this guy gave you," Ray said gruffly. "You get new things. I have a job now and can pay for everything you need."

"And what about Jill's stuff?" Julia knew how pointless this whole discussion was, but she wanted to stall time. "She needs something to keep her busy during the flight."

"Fine," he said and rolled his eyes impatiently. "She can take her doll and another toy. That's enough to entertain her. When we arrive at our destination, I'll buy her new toys."

"You won't get away with this. You know that, right?" Nolan looked him straight in the eye. "The police is probably already on to you. You weren't exactly discreet to cover your traces."

"Nolan!" Julia exclaimed warningly. "Don't!" She was really worried that Ray would snap if he was provoked. She knew from the past what he was capable of.

"What is he, your lover?" Ray took a step towards Julia while still holding the gun. "Tell me, Jessica. Did you lie to me? Have you been unfaithful to me?"

Fearfully, she backed away until she felt the wall in her back. There it was again. That look that had intimidated her in the past. He had always looked at her with that cold and probing gaze before he struck. "Please don't...," she stammered, reflexively closing her eyes.

Desperately, Nolan tugged at his cuffs. He realized what would happen next, but he couldn't help her. He saw how Ray took a swing at her and Julia dropped to the floor, sobbing. "You ... you bastard!" He shouted furiously.

"I'd like to shoot you right now," Ray said coolly, pointing the gun back at Nolan's head. "But unfortunately I still need you."

Sobbing, Julia touched her swollen lip and noticed, as she pulled her hand away again, that blood stuck to it. "You haven't changed at all," she stammered. "I'd rather die than go with you."

Horrified, Nolan stared at Julia, who was still sitting on the floor, touching her bleeding lip. Gradually, he realized what she had to endure all those years in her marriage. "Cut the cuffs," he said firmly. "I'll take you wherever you want to go. We only have to drive a bit. The jet is in a hangar, a few miles from here. We take my car. Then nobody will follow us."

Slowly Julia scrambled up from the floor. "I'll get Jill," she said in a low voice as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her little daughter shouldn't see that she had cried. She meant it as she had said she would rather die than go with Ray. But what should become of Jill? She walked over to the children's room that Nolan had lovingly decorated for her in the back of the villa and carefully opened the door. The first thing she noticed was the open window. The second, that the room was empty. Horrified, she ran to the window and stared out. Was it possible that Jill had climbed out of it? _The pool!_ she thought. Maybe she'd been scared, climbed out of the window, then headed for the pool. She was only two years old and couldn't swim. What if she had fallen into the pool and drowned? Fear closed her throat, and she quickly ran back into the living room. "She's gone!" She called as she struggled to hold back her tears. "We have to look for her!"

"Get rid of the cuffs!" Nolan demanded. "Didn't you hear? She walks around alone out there. And my pool is quite deep. If it's true what you claim that you love your wife and daughter, then surely you don't want that something bad happens to her."

"Okay, let's go find her." He pointed to Nolan. "But you stay here. My wife and I will go and get her."

Helplessly Nolan watched as Ray grabbed Julia's arm and then dragged her outside. He had hoped to help with the search. The thought that the little girl was in danger was almost too much for him to bear. He loved Jill, the same way that he loved her mother. Had he missed the chance to tell her? Had he been waiting too long? He hoped that everything would go well, that the police would find them in time. But the unmistakable sound of a gunshot that broke the silence quashed all his hopes.


	35. Self-Defense

Daniel knew he had only one chance to target the shot. When he saw that Ray and Julia had come out from Nolan's villa, he had immediately asked Emily to go back to the car and call the police. He knew it would take a few minutes for the action forces to be there. But he had to somehow manage to stop Ray without hurting Julia. Even from a distance, he could see how scared she was. But because of this distance it wouldn't be easy for him to hit the mark. His heart began to beat wildly as he saw Ray holding a gun to Julia's head. Sweat formed on his forehead as he slowly raised his own gun and aimed at the kidnapper. Just a shot, he told himself over and over again, trying to focus. He couldn't allow to miss. Daniel was pretty sure Ray wouldn't hesitate to shoot him and then Julia. The man literally walked over dead bodies. Once more he took a deep breath, aimed at his target and fired. The next thing he heard was Julia's scream when Ray sank to the floor. He quickly ran from his hiding place and picked up the gun the kidnapper had dropped.

"Is he...?" Julia didn't get further as she stared down at her husband with shocked eyes. Ray was lying on the floor, bleeding and unconscious.

Daniel bent down, checked his pulse, and then breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive. I just caught him by the shoulder."

Alarmed by the shot, Emily came running. She too was shocked by the sight of the seriously injured kidnapper. "Oh my God, Daniel," she exclaimed. "What have you done?"

"He... he's alive," Julia stammered, wrapping her arms around her body. She looked at Daniel, who had pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance.

"What did he do to you?" Emily asked worriedly and touched carefully Julia's bloody lip.

"It... it's not that bad," she said in a low voice, then looked around in panic. "Jill!" She said alarmed. "We have to look for her."

Emily frowned questioningly. "Isn't she in the house?"

"She probably heard the argument, got scared and ran away," Julia told her. "I'm afraid she fell into the pool."

"Come with me!" Emily grabbed Julia's arm. "We go looking for her."

"Wait!" Julia looked at Daniel. "Nolan is still in the house," she told him curtly. "Ray has tied him to a chair. Can you see how he is doing?"

Daniel nodded. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him." He looked at his watch and then at the bleeding Ray. "Damn, where is the ambulance? If he doesn't get medical aid soon, he'll bleed to death. And I'm going to jail for murder!"

"Get the first aid kit out of the car and put a pressure bandage on it until the paramedics come," Emily suggested. "That's better than nothing."

"Good luck with the search!" Daniel said and then ran quickly to the car to get the first aid kit. As he tried to save Ray's life, the women set out to search for Jill. But their search was fruitless.

"We searched the whole property," said Julia desperately. "Where is she?"

"I don't know." Emily hugged her friend and stroked her back. "Maybe she decided to go back to the house."

"Yes, you may be right." Julia's hope suddenly rose again. "Let's just take a look there." They went into the house where Nolan had already been released from his shackles. When he saw Julia, he jumped up and took her in his arms.

"I was so afraid he would kill you," he said in a strangled voice, hugging her tightly.

"I'm fine," Julia said, nestling in his arms. "Daniel and Emily arrived just in time."

"Mommy!"

Julia turned her head and saw Daniel step into the living room, carrying Jill in his arms.

"See who I've found," he said, carefully setting the two-year-old down on the floor. Immediately, Jill ran to her mother.

"Oh, my baby!" Tears of joy and relief ran down Julia's cheeks as she hugged her little daughter. "Where was she?"

"In the closet." Daniel grinned. "She was hiding there because she was afraid of the loud noises."

"And we searched the whole property." Emily smiled. "But the main thing is that she's okay."

"What happens to Ray now?" Julia asked.

"At the moment, the paramedics are providing first aid," Daniel said. "It's a penetrating gunshot wound. No vital organs were hit. They will take him to the hospital. The police will arrest him later."

"Will they turn you in?" Emily asked worriedly. "After all, you were the one who shot him."

"You shot at him?" Nolan asked, looking at Daniel incredulously.

"I couldn't wait for the police," he said in his defense. "I had to act fast. He threatened Julia with his gun."

"You risked your life to save mine," said Julia, looking at Daniel. "I'll never forget that."

"Oh, oh, here they are," Nolan whispered to Daniel, when he saw two police officers step through the door and head straight for Daniel.

"Daniel Grayson?" One of the officers asked.

Daniel nodded. "Yes, that's me," he confirmed, feeling Emily's hand tighten around his.

"He shot in self-defense," Julia intervened before the officials could even ask more questions. "Ray would have killed me otherwise!"

Daniel looked at Emily, who had suddenly turned very pale. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

"The ambulance is out there," said one of the officers, who had noticed Emily's pregnant condition. "Do you need medical aid?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm just feeling a little light-headed." She touched her head and began to stagger slightly.

"I'll go and get help," one of the officers offered and ran outside to call for a paramedic.

"I think I should lie down," Emily said weakly, rubbing her rounded belly. "Maybe it was a little bit too much stress lately." She saw Daniel's anxious expression and reached for his hand. "I'm fine," she whispered to him, watching him staring at her in confusion.

"The paramedics are coming," Julia shouted as Emily sank onto the sofa.

While the paramedics checked Emily's blood pressure and asked her questions about her pregnancy, the officers stood helplessly looking at each other.

"We'll take her to the hospital," one of the paramedics decided. "There she can be examined more thoroughly. The blood pressure is slightly elevated. But that's no need for concern. But we don't want to risk anything. After all, this is about the life of mother and child." He looked at the police officers. "Are you done here with your interrogation?"

The two nodded and then turned to Daniel. "Now go with your wife," they said. "We'll question you another time about the events."

"So he won't be arrested?" Julia slipped out.

"No," one of the officers said. "First, we need to know exactly what happened." He looked at the pregnant Emily, who was still lying on the sofa. "Now take care of your wife," he said to Daniel, then turned to Nolan and Julia. "And we need your witness's statement as well." He pulled out a business card and handed it to Julia. "Here is my number. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Otherwise we will contact you again."

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked Julia and Nolan when the officers had left.

"Sure." Nolan nodded. "I'll take care of Julia and Jill." He looked worriedly at Emily, who was being escorted outside by the paramedics. "Take care of Emily and the baby."

"Oh, don't worry, I will," he said with a mischievous grin. "I'm sure she can manage fine on her own."

Daniel had just left the villa when Julia looked at Nolan questioningly. "What did he mean by that?"

"No idea." Nolan shrugged and then began to clear up the mess that Ray had caused.


	36. Defensive Measures

**In the hospital**

Daniel waited for the doctor to leave Emily's room before he slipped inside without knocking. As expected, she was awake and now looked at him with big, rueful eyes. "What was that show you just faked?" He asked in a low voice, in case someone was still within earshot.

"Sit down and listen to me!" Emily pointed to a chair. "Before you blame me, I want to tell you that I did this to protect you."

Confused, he looked at her. "I don't understand."

"Well..." She took a deep breath. "If I hadn't delivered my 'little drama act', you would now sit with the police and they would interrogate you about what had happened. The fact is, you shot Ray. Should he die... "

"He will survive," Daniel interrupted her. "I was in the ICU recently. Police are running around everywhere. Like in a bad crime movie." He rolled his eyes. "I overheard two police officers talking. The one literally said 'Too bad that such a pig, who abused his wife for years, even survived', whereupon the other replied 'I think it's fair, because he can at least serve his well-deserved punishment'.

"So you're coming to the conclusion that Ray will survive?" Emily asked, raising her eyebrows.

Daniel nodded. "Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to address the doctor directly. After all, I'm not a relative. "

"What about Julia?" Emily suggested. "Could you call Nolan and ask her to come to the hospital? She will be given the information for sure."

"Why are you so eager to find out how Ray is doing?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"I don't want my husband to go to jail for murder," Emily replied dryly. "And then I'll come back to the actual topic..." She took a deep breath. "We both know that you only fired in self-defense, but will the police believe you too?"

"Why not?" He shrugged.

"Because your list of crimes involving gunfights is not short." Emily rolled her eyes. "They will investigate more closely, and then find out that you are not as innocent as you claim to be." Her voice became even quieter. "You shot your own wife. That I survived, was a miracle. Aiden was killed by your bullet... "She stopped when she saw Daniel's face grew pale. "I know it was self-defense. But..."

"Once a criminal, always a criminal? Are you trying to say that?"

She wanted to reach for his hand, but he was already up. "Damn, Daniel, I'm on your side! But that's the way the police could argue. And if Ray survives, it's just manslaughter and not murder!"

He just stared at her. She was right. Without doubt. She tried to see from the perspective of the police. And Ray would probably say he brutally shot him down, though he couldn't fight back. But only he and Julia knew, that Ray had held a gun to Julia's head. Not even Emily had been at the crime scene at the time. Damn it! Groaning, he ran his hand through his hair. He hated it when he was cornered like an animal. "What should I do now?" He asked distraught.

"We have to talk to Julia," Emily said calmly. "She has to testify that you fired in self-defense. Because Ray will certainly say the opposite." She stopped and then went on quickly. "Anyway, there will be your word against his." She sat up straight. "I assumed the worst case scenario, if that won't turn out well for you. Then it's still better that Ray is alive than dead."

Daniel was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Annoyed by the interruption, he opened it. "Charlotte?" He exclaimed in surprise.

She turned to the nurse who had brought her here in a wheelchair. "Thanks for your help! My brother can bring me back to my room," she said and rolled into the hospital room.

"What are you doing here?" Daniel looked at his sister with a puzzled look.

"A nurse mentioned that my sister-in-law was admitted to the hospital." She turned to face Emily. "What happened?" She inquired worriedly. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

Emily quickly exchanged a look with Daniel before answering. "No, the baby's fine. It's just a precautionary measure."

"Seriously, Em?" Daniel shook his head in disapproval. "Is it necessary to lie to her too?" He turned to Charlotte. "We found Julia," he clarified. "She was with Nolan. Ray had taken the two hostage."

"Oh my God!" Charlotte stared in horror at Emily. "Is that why you are here? Were you hurt?"

Emily shook her head. "It's a little ... complicated to explain," she said slowly.

"It's easy to explain," Daniel contradicted. "Emily faked a dizzy spell because she didn't want me arrested," he said, glancing sideways at his wife. "I shot Ray when I saw him threatening Julia with a gun. He is still in intensive care. But he will probably come through."

"You shot him...?!" Charlotte exclaimed, stunned. "But... Daniel... the police..." she stammered incoherently.

"We've already clarified that," Emily put in quickly. "All we have to do is calling Julia that she is telling the police that Daniel fired in self-defense. She is an important witness. They will believe her."

"Is Julia doing well?" Charlotte asked softly.

"She's fine. Nolan takes care of her," Emily replied. "And Jill is safe too."

"Thank goodness!" Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. "Then the nightmare is finally over."

"Almost," Daniel interjected. "Except for the small fact that I am now in the main focus of the investigation."

"Call Julia!" Emily advised urgently. "She should come to the hospital. I'll advise her what to do before she talks to the police."

Daniel nodded and then turned to Charlotte. "I'll take you back to your room. You shouldn't stay up that long."

"I was worried," she said pouting. "When I heard that Emily was admitted, I thought something had happend to the baby."

"Our little girl is fine," Emily said, stroking her belly gently. "She keeps kicking me like crazy all the time. I hope she can forgive me my white lie."

"How long will you have to stay?" Daniel asked.

"Only this day. They want to do a few more tests. But right now it looks pretty good that I can go home tomorrow."

"Good." Daniel bent down to kiss her. "I'll bring Charlotte back now, and then I'll call Julia. I'll be back later," he promised.

"I'm really relieved that you're okay," Charlotte said, leaning over to kiss her sister's cheek.

Daniel opened the door and pushed Charlotte out of the room.


	37. Final Goodbye

**Stowaway, Montauk**

"I'll come by tomorrow morning and visit you, okay? Take care, Emily!" Ava ended the phone call and then walked behind the counter and began to polish the glasses, lost in thought, as she did every night just before she opened the bar. Jack was out with Carl, so she was alone at the Stowaway today and couldn't just leave. Emily's call had caused mixed feelings inside her. She was relieved that they had arrested Julia's psychopathic husband and that she could be saved without getting seriously hurt, but she was also worried about her friend. Even when Emily had assured her she and the baby were all right, an uneasy feeling remained. She looked at the clock and went to the door then. It was a normal day in the week and she didn't expect too many guests this night, but she felt the duty to always open in time. Once she had unlocked the door, the first guest already entered. It was Jon. "Hey," she welcomed him and frowned then. "What are you doing here?" She ran her eyes over him and noticed the travel bag in his hand.

"I wanted to say goodbye," he answered her question, clearing his throat then. "I go back to Rebun Island."

She looked at him in surprise. "You go back?" she asked confused. "But… you just came here."

"I know." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "But I think my work here is done now." He put down the travel bag. "Emily called me. They caught Ray. He's taken Julia and Nolan hostage. But Daniel…"

"I know," Ava cut off his babbling. "I just talked to Emily on the phone. She told me everything."

"Then you also know that I'm not needed here anymore." He plunged his hands in the pockets of his jeans, grinning askew. "That's it for me here. I go back where I belong."

"Nobody actually belongs to Rebun Island," Ava disagreed. "We learned things there that are important to survive, but the island could never really replace a real home."

"Whatever. I made my decision." He picked up his bag and was about to turn.

"Jon?"

"What?" He slowly turned to her.

"What about Charlotte?"

He closed his eyes, for he didn't want Ava to see how much that topic bothered him. Actually he had hoped to avoid this discussion with her. "What about her?" he played the indifferent.

"You do know that she's in love with you?"

"We had sex, so?" he downplayed the whole thing, although he knew that it had been so much more - for them both.

"You may be able to lie to me, but not to yourself." Ava raised her eyebrows meaningfully. "You really want to deny that you feel more for her?"

He struggled whether to tell her the truth; the truth that had surprised him as well. "The… the life I live," he began hesitantly, "… it's not hers. There are worlds between us. I could never give her what she has now." He made an excessive wave of his hand. "Look how and where she lives," he exclaimed. "She lives in a damn villa with servants! She's surrounded by luxury and things I could never give to her."

"Maybe she doesn't want all that," Ava threw in, before he was able to continue. "Charlotte was heartbroken after she lost Declan, Jack's younger brother. After that she never showed interest in any man, until you showed up in the picture. The only thing she wants is to be happy."

He considered her words for a moment and then went to the door.

"Damn it, Jon!" Ava was by him in a few steps and held him back at his arm. "If you go now, it will destroy her!"

"She'll get over it." He wasn't too sure, though, if that was really true, but he had to justify his leaving somehow.

"No, she won't," Ava said quietly. "I do know her that well by now." With a sigh she shoved back her long hair. "Will you at least say goodbye to her, before you leave?" she asked, as she realized that it was pointless to encourage Jon to stay.

He slowly shook his head. "It's better if I just leave," he said calmly.

"For you or for her?" she asked, not without irony in her voice.

"For both of us."

He left the bar without looking back again and Ava looked after him helplessly. She couldn't believe he wanted to disappear just like that. But wasn't that exactly his style? Just like he had appeared, he disappeared again. It was what he had learned over years; when things got too complicated in his life, he rather ran away than to face it. And falling in love with Charlotte was a complication he surely hadn't expected, when he had come here. She planned to visit Emily at the hospital the next morning. Maybe she could as well talk to Charlotte, who was in the same hospital in another ward. A task she didn't really look forward to; for she knew how Charlotte would react. She hadn't exaggerated as she had told Jon that it would destroy the young woman. She had had to go through too many losses during the past years; Declan, her unborn baby, her father and now Jon. As the door of the bar opened, for a moment Ava thought it was Jon, who had changed his mind. But it was only a guest. Ava shoved a strand of hair behind her ear and mentally switched to barkeeper mode. "Hello! What can I get you?" she welcomed the guest friendly, smiling at him.


	38. Despair

**At the hospital**

"He left?" Charlotte asked in disbelief and noticed her voice slightly shaking.

Ava nodded and squeezed her hand compassionately. "He came to the bar yesterday night and told me," she said calmly. "He goes back to Rebun Island."

"Without… without saying goodbye to me?" Tears gathered in Charlotte's eyes. She couldn't believe that he just left her with what they had.

Ava closed her eyes in frustration for a moment. She had hoped so much that Jon would have changed his mind and driven to the hospital to say goodbye to Charlotte. Many things would have been easier for the young woman that way. Suddenly she had Jon's words back in her ear. _"The life I live isn't hers. There are worlds between us. I could never give her what she has now."_ Would have all been different, if they were in the same social class?

"But… but I love him!" Charlotte cried out, sobbing. "I opened my heart to him and believed that he feels the same way for me."

Charlotte's voice broke and Ava carefully took her in her arms. She didn't know what else to say. Jon had made his decision, even when she believed that he shared the same feelings for Charlotte. Maybe it was better this way. "You barely even know him," she said, although she knew how lame that excuse sounded. She moved a strand of hair out of the young woman's forehead. "Get better first," she said softly.

Tiredly Charlotte shook her head. "That doesn't change anything about my feelings for him," she said quietly. Her head sank against Ava's shoulder. "I wish Ray would have finished what he had started," she then said after a moment of hesitation.

Ava gently pushed her off and looked at her in horror. "What are you talking about?"

"I wish I was dead." Charlotte closed her eyes and leaned her head back against Ava's shoulder. "You don't know what it's like to lose everything over and over again," she mumbled. "First Declan, then my baby, then Jon…"

"You have me, Jack, Emily, Daniel…," Ava began to list. "We love you and we'll never leave you alone, no matter what happens. You can always count on us."

Charlotte smiled sadly. "Yes, I know," she said. "But that's no replacement for a partner." She took a deep breath. "I really believed Jon and I had a future."

Sweet, little, naive Charlotte, Ava thought and softly ran her hand over her head. She was still so incredibly young with her 20 years. She still had all her life before her. It hurt to see that the young woman seemed to have given up. But at the same time she was also angry with Jon, who had screwed up one of Charlotte's dreams of the future again. "Is it okay for you, if I quickly check on Emily?" she asked.

Charlotte nodded. "You go. I'll be fine by myself." In her head a plan had grown, and it was better, if Ava didn't know about what she was about to do.

Ava squeezed her hand once more and then rose. She would rather not leave the young woman by herself. Her words had shocked her deeply and made her thoughtful. Charlotte wouldn't hurt herself? She tried to banish the burdensome thought, while she made her way to Emily's room.

Ava had barely left the room, as Charlotte pulled the infusion needle out of her arm and then crawled out of bed. With her last visit her mother had brought her some stuff as well, amongst others, her purse with her credit card and her ID. Now she only had to see how to get out of the hospital unnoticed. Although she still felt slightly shaky on her feet, she managed to get dressed. She took her bag, opened the door and peered outside. The hallway was empty; none of the personnel was visible. Probably the doctor had his ward round right now. One more reason to hurry, for soon they would notice her disappearance. Nobody bothered or held her back, when she got into the elevator and drove down. But the whole time her heart was beating wildly by fear that they would notice her escape after all. Not until she had gone past the entrance and stood outside by the cabs, she gasped of relief. She walked towards a car, opened the door and got in. "To the airport," she said with a slightly quivering voice. The cab driver nodded and accelerated. Ava had told her that Jon wanted back to Rebun Island. So he would take a flight to Japan then. She didn't know, if his plane was up already or if he was still waiting; she only knew that she needed to get to the airport. She wouldn't give up on this love that easily. She wanted to hear out of Jon's mouth that he really didn't feel anything for her; for Ava hadn't told her a real reason for him to just leave without saying goodbye to her. She leaned back and closed her eyes. She was tired and her head ached. Whether it was still for the concussion or for the thinking, she couldn't tell. The drive to the airport took only 20 minutes and when she emerged with shaky legs, after she had paid the driver, she walked towards the entrance with slow steps.

Ava was relieved that Emily seemed all right. For almost an hour she had sat by the bed and listened to her friend's stories. To not bother Emily unnecessarily she had avoided to tell her about the conversation with Charlotte. But although that whole time she told herself that time would heal all wounds, she was worried. That's why she decided to check on Charlotte again. She took a deep breath, before she entered the room and then stared confused at the empty bed in front of her. "Charlotte?" She walked to the adjoining bathroom and looked inside. Not a trace of the patient. Maybe they had taken her to examine her, went through her head and she went to the nurses' room and knocked on the window. "Charlotte Grayson?" she asked shortly, when a nurse appeared.

"She's in room 310," the nurse told her.

Ava shook her head, while trying to ignore the uneasy feeling that suddenly took control of her. "She's not there," she said quietly. "I looked. Is she being examined maybe?"

The nurse went to her computer, typed something in and then shook her head. "No, all examinations are done. She's supposed to be in her room."

"But she's not." Ava's stomach began to clench. For a moment before her inner eyes she saw Charlotte on the roof of the hospital, thinking about jumping. She grabbed the nurse's arm. "Come with me and see yourself!"

Hesitantly the nurse followed her and then entered the room. Her look instantly fell on the blood stain in the bed the pulled out infusion needle had caused. "Clearly, none of the personnel has removed that," she said thoughtfully. "The patient pulled it out herself."

"And where's she now?" Ava exclaimed, suddenly realizing that the bag that had been there before was gone as well.

"I have no idea. But as it looks, it seems she's left the hospital," the nurse said and stepped outside in the hallway. "I'll let the doctor know. Wait here for a moment."

"Is there any chance to get onto the roof of the hospital?" Ava asked with a slightly shaking voice. She couldn't banish that thought from her mind that Charlotte wanted to hurt herself.

The nurse looked at her, confused. "Why do you want to know?" she asked slowly.

"I was here earlier," she said hesitantly. "She was pretty upset, talked about rather being dead."

"Oh my God," the nurse exclaimed. "Why didn't you call the doctor? I'll tell the security." She disappeared and left Ava alone.

Ava wrapped her arms around her shaking body. If Charlotte hurt herself, it would be her fault! After all the young woman had unburdened her heart to her. She should have seen how desperate she really was. So desperate that she would really choose suicide? But there was another option as well that she hadn't thought of until now. She pulled out her phone and dialed Jon's number with quivering fingers. "Where are you?" she burst out right away, as he had picked up.

 _"At the airport. Why?"_

"Charlotte disappeared," she exclaimed.

 _"What?"_

"I told her that you're leaving the country," she admitted with a sigh. "After that she just left. Nobody knows where she is now. I talked to someone of the personnel. They want to send someone up on the roof of the hospital."

 _"On the... roof of the… hospital?"_

The confusion was clearly audible in his voice. "It's just a guess," Ava said and sighed quietly. "I probably worry for nothing, but she was so sad and upset, so I thought she…"

 _"You think she wants to kill herself?!"_

A hint of panic was swinging in his voice. "I don't know. Another option would be that she drove to the airport to keep you from going. She loves you, Jon," she exclaimed desperately. "Even if I had my doubts before, the conversation with her confirmed it now."

 _"She told you that she loves me?"_

"Yes, and with exactly those words." She heard him laugh quietly.

 _"Then I made the right decision."_

"I know, you think there's too many things separating you," Ava said, ignoring his comment. "But if you have a hint of feelings for her, then give yourself and her a chance." His next word baffled her.

 _"Okay."_

"Really?"

 _"Yeah, really. After all, I don't want to go back to Japan. What is there for me? Nothing. And you're right. I have feelings for Charlotte. I fought them, but our talk made me realize how much I'm about to lose, if I leave the country now."_

"Why did you even go to the airport then?"

 _"To think. I was just ready and decided not to fly to Japan."_

It took a load off Ava's mind. "Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed. "Then get in a cab and come to the hospital," she said.

 _"Didn't you say that it's possible she drove to the airport?"_

"Yeah, right." She moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then have a look around at the airport. Maybe you'll find her there. Let me know if you find her. I'll keep you posted about the search on the roof."

 _"Do that. See you!"_

Jon hung up and Ava turned off her phone as well. Just in time, because the nurse just entered the room again.

"She's not on the roof," she informed Ava. "Security searched all of it. Also, it wouldn't even have been possible to get on the roof that easily. You need a safety key. Only the guards have those."

Ava gasped in relief. One worry less. She quickly texted Jon and hoped that he would reply her that he had found Charlotte.

"Should I inform the relatives that Miss Grayson disappeared?" the nurse wanted to know.

Ava shook her head. "Not yet. I contacted a friend. Maybe she drove to the airport. I'll find out more soon."

The nurse was okay with that and left the room. Sighing, Ava sat down on the chair next to the bed and turned her phone back on. The waiting time had begun.


	39. Friendship

**At the airport**

How stupid it had been to escape the hospital just like that, Charlotte only really realized that when she barely managed to stay on her feet. She had completely misinterpreted her health condition and now felt like she was about to pass out any moment. Exhausted, she fell onto the bench and closed her eyes. She had searched almost the entire airport for Jon - to no avail. Maybe he hadn't gone to the airport after all, as she had assumed at first, but was still in his motelroom. In any case - she didn't have any energy left to keep walking around and look for him. And she also doubted that she would even manage to leave the building to get a cab. She was so tired, so horribly tired…

"Charlotte? Can you hear me? Open your eyes!"

Was she only dreaming or was that really Jon's voice? She forced herself to open her eyes and looked into his warm, brown eyes that were examining her worriedly. "Jon…," she mumbled, her head sinking back against the backrest. She was just too tired to stay awake.

"Hey, stay with me! Charlotte, don't fall asleep again!"

"Can't… tired…," she stammered weakly, feeling darkness spreading around her, although her eyes were open.

"I'll get you to the hospital! Hang on!"

She heard his voice and felt herself suddenly be lifted and then carried. It was the last thing she was aware of, before she eventually lost her conscious completely.

Jon ignored all the traffic rules as he was rushing to the hospital with Charlotte on the backseat. Fear laced up his throat and his hands were shaking so hard that he barely managed to hold the wheel. Again and again he turned around to her to make sure that she was still breathing. Her face was blood-empty and she was lying there with closed eyes, as if she wasn't unconscious but dead. They had reached the hospital and he took Charlotte into his arms again and carried her into the building carefully. Instantly, there were doctors around him who took Charlotte from him, then put her on a stretcher and brought her to the ward with the elevator where she had stayed before. Only after he was sure again that Charlotte was in good hands, he drew his phone and called Ava.

"I found her," he said shortly and with a still slightly shaking voice. "She's back at the hospital."

 _"I'm upstairs in the waiting area. Come up here so we can talk!"_

He hung up, took the elevator up and found Ava where she had said to be. They briefly hugged and Jon told her what had happened at the airport.

"How lucky you found her that fast," Ava said and sighed quietly. "Unthinkable what could have happened."

"And it's all my fault!" Jon ran a hand through his short hair with a sigh. "She was looking for me and with that put herself in danger." He slightly shook his head. "She shouldn't have left the hospital in the first place. She's way too weak for that."

Ava nodded. "You're right, but... you know... the things you do for love?" She smiled. "I'm glad you decided to stay," she then said.

"Yeah, me too." Jon leaned back in his chair. "Charlotte definitely needs someone taking care of her, so she doesn't do anything stupid again."

Ava laughed. "Okay, you have a point." She turned serious again. "When did you realize that you feel more for her?" she asked curiously.

Jon shrugged. "I don't know. Actually it was right the next morning after we've slept with each other," he then admitted hesitantly. "Her sweet and innocent nature just attracted me. But not before I found her bleeding and unconscious outside the bar I realized that I fell in love with her."

"Wow! That's what I call a confession," Ava gave with a grin. "But if you were already in love with her back then, why did you try to chat me up again anyway?"

"To be honest, I don't even know why," he said and grinned sheepishly. "Maybe just out of habit? After all, I came here with the goal to win you back." He sighed quietly. "Maybe I fooled myself that whole time."

Ava settled a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad that's over. I mean, I really like you, Jon. But as a friend. And I hope that we'll stay friends."

"So you don't blame me anymore for trying to seduce you, although I knew that you're engaged?" he asked cautiously.

"No." Ava shook her head and smiled then. "No hard feelings! And because we're now officially only friends, I'd like to invite you to my wedding."

"Huh… thanks, but… are you sure your husband-to-be is alright with that?"

"Jack knows that I love only him, and that thing with you…" She took a deep breath. "… it was great, as long as it lasted. But it was over the moment I left Rebun Island."

"If I stay here…," Jon began hesitantly, "I'd need a job as well. You don't happen to know anyone who'd give me one?"

"Yeah, I do. Me." Ava laughed when he looked at her, puzzled. "You can work in the bar like you originally planned."

"Really?"

"Really." Ava reached out a hand to him. "Let's seal our new friendship with a handshake."

Jon nodded and then hesitantly took Ava's hand. "To friendship," he said and took her hand, squeezing it softly. "And to good teamwork in the bar," he added and grinned.

"What about a home? You can't live at the motel forever," Ava said and rolled her eyes.

"I'll find something," Jon gave casually. "Don't worry about it."

"How about you ask Emily and Daniel if you can stay in one of the guest rooms of Grayson Manor for a while?" Ava suggested. "The mansion is huge and they even have several guest rooms. I'm sure they wouldn't have anything against it."

"That's… I don't even know what to say to that…," Jon stammered.

"That way you'd be near Charlotte as well," Ava continued without reacting to Jon's stammering. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Sure, but…" He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "You know the way I lived so far and now I'm supposed to live in a mansion?" He slightly shook his head. "That just isn't my world."

Ava looked at him thoughtfully. "If you're serious with Charlotte, you'll need to get used to living in her world," she said slowly.

Jon nodded. "Yeah, you're right," he agreed. "I'll ask them."

Ava gestured to the ceiling. "Emily's in the ward above us. Let's go to her and ask her," she suggested. She could tell that he was hesitating. "Think of Charlotte and how much it would mean to her," she said and was relieved when Jon nodded. Together they then entered the elevator and went up to the gynecological ward.


End file.
